The Architecture of Happiness
by: Alain de Botton
Published by: Vintage International
Buy From Amazon.com
Reviewed by Lisa Benton
The Architecture of Happiness, written by Alain de Botton, outlines the historical evolution of architecture over the past century and the reciprocal effects that architectural surroundings may have on one’s mood and overall outlook in life. The author offers an in-depth exploration of the cultural, political, and social influences which have been important in shaping the evolution of architectural design.
The book begins with a discussion about the relative historical and political factors that have influenced the appearance of architectural design. He also offers an in-depth look at how the details of one’s surroundings can subtly influence one’s feelings about the environment and the self. In choosing or designing one’s environment, he philosophizes that one chooses a reflection of his or her ideal self, or internal world.
The psychological interpretations made by the author are mostly subjective and philosophically based, without any empirical research being used to support his opinions. Some of the reasoning that the author uses to support the importance of architectural details seems fundamentally flawed. For example, he uses the importance of one millimeter’s difference in the human lip to explain how important architectural detail is to a building. However, the human ability to recognize slight differences in human faces is a survival mechanism that enables us to differentiate each of the billions of faces that exist in the world, and it is not likely that this capability generalizes to building architecture.
The writing style and lexicon in this book make for an informative read, but may be difficult to absorb by those looking for entertainment. Readers with professional careers in architecture, art history, or philosophy, may find that this book opens the door to creative thought about the connection between one’s environment and psychological factors.
Armchair Interviews says: Book most important to someone in the architectural field.
From our armchair to yours...
