Cultural influences on architecture

Architecture is a manifestation and expression of culture. As such it must acknowledge and respond to the cultural needs and values of the society with which it interacts. Consequently, a selected set of cultural aspects will be defined which have been found most likely to influence architectural form. These aspects of culture will then be utilized in a study of three works of architecture. I will examine past architectural works and evaluate their cultural conditions to propose how the architectural form was influenced by the culture.

A demonstration of how culture influences architectural form will then be conducted through the design of a new Roman Catholic Church for Irish Catholic Americans in Boston, Massachusetts. The works of sociologists as well as requirements put forth by the Roman Catholic Church will be used to describe the cultural values and needs of the Irish Catholic Americans in this region.