Studying architecture can enhance the study of a historical period or foreign culture. The architecture of a period or a people can tell us a great deal about who they were. It tells us much about what they considered beautiful and what principles they valued. Perhaps the oldest form of art known to man is architecture. Before men painted paintings or cast sculptures, they built buildings.
Architecture is the skill or art of designing buildings.
A group of buildings with common features defines an architectural style. It may be the style of a culture or of a single architect. Although it may seem obvious, in studying architecture with children it is important to point out to them that a building always serves a purpose. A building is always designed to house something - to protect some one or some thing from the elements. There are always limits to architecture then, imposed by the function that a building must serve.