Journal On Rapoport :: essays research papers fc

Human had a long history of showing their will to shape, control their surrounding and understanding the natural world. Thus, it is no surprise that mankind had gone this far in advanced technology. By improving our science and technology, we are able to understand and research the world. This will allow mankind to create more stability thus avoiding some of the effects from great fluctuations of nature forces explore the truth of myths. With this theme in mind, I find it to be a very common characteristic among the three articles by: Rapoport (Australian Aborigines And The Definition Of Place), Hertzberger (Lessons For Student In Architecture) and, Deyner (African Traditional Architecture), which could possibly explain the difference in the definition of place both by the author and the locale. It is not so much as the level of technology that these cultures exist in, but more relevantly, the period of technology improvement they are living in which defined their indigenous landscape architecture.Rapoport believes that Australian Aborigines, "cooperated with nature rather than to subdue it" (Rapoport, 1980:p.44.) I found this to be a point that is somewhat accurate but not precise. The fact that these Australian aborigines did not advance in technology, are forced to accept nature as it is. As a result, they live their lives primitively through myths and stories instead of research and development. This is evident when compared to Deyner's article, explaining that the more advanced (this advancement is draw from the fact that these less nomadic Africans do trade and had farms) Africans developed more permanent dwellings, practical buildings (huts) which created a clearer boundary to identify their territory. However, the Africans' minute building structures are still primitive and they are only constructed to serve a prime purpose like say, a small mud granary to store food. On the other hand, Hertzberger's "Lesson for student in Architecture" dwell deeper into concept of space and how we divide and articulate building structures when he mentioned, "question of sensing the required distance and proximity between people ...purpose of space." (Hertzberger, 1991:p.100)This level of division and detachment from natural dwelling showed a precise mentality of modern era human though I could not say that we are now in the 20th century and do not appreciate or dislike nature. But the point is that, modern era human had so much control and complex thought that enable us articulate our confinement (concept of space).