Climate extremes affect the form of the environment. Although not always apparent, every shelter, even in a moderate climate, responds to people's basic needs for light, air, and protection from the elements. We build buildings and rooms for privacy and for places for our different activities. If we had to, we could eat, sleep, cook, read, play, and bathe in the same room. Just as we don't use a single room for many purposes, we don't build a single building to be a church, food market, and factory.
Most buildings serve a number of uses.
A school includes a gym, an auditorium, offices, classrooms, a library and usually a lunchroom, and we might use each room in several ways. In the classroom, for example, we read, see films, hear music, write, and talk. We need versatility, as well as variety, in our rooms and buildings for the many acivities that are part of our way of life. This site has been made possible through the generous support of The Foundation for Architecture , WHYY , the Corporation for Public Broadcasting , and the National Endowment for the Arts .