Architecture and Evolution: VI. Universal Principles for Good Architecture

In the first three articles of this series, it was explained that the evolution of our species has left us with innate aesthetic preferences. To summarise, we are evolved to appreciate certain types of symmetry and ornament, including ornament that involves human and animal representations, foliage, flowers and spirals. More human universals in this domain may exist, but those are beyond the scope of this series.

In chapter V I have explained how, under certain conditions, architecture evolves through an evolutionary process by aesthetic selection. This process results in architecture that is optimally adapted to our aesthetic preferences, which are at least partly innate.

From these facts, we can deduce the following universal principles for designing beautiful architecture. The more strictly the architect abides by these principles, the more beautiful his designs.

1.       Humans have an innate aesthetic preference for symmetry. If the architect’s goal is to create beautiful designs, he should try to make sure that the building looks symmetrical from as many points of view as possible.

2.       Humans have an innate aesthetic preference for ornament and for certain types of ornament in particular. This includes natural forms such as human and animal representations, foliage and flowers. Architecture should therefore involve ornament if its goal is to create beauty. And if an architect wants to design a beautiful building, he should strive to make sure that its viewers are exposed to ornament from as many different points of view as possible. The same applies to well-defined borders.

3.       Architectural evolution by aesthetic selection results, over time, in architecture that is optimally adapted to our innate aesthetic preferences. To design aesthetically appealing structures, architects should therefore copy and draw inspiration from each other’s work, selecting for beauty. In principle, they should also keep to the conventions of an architectural style, such as the design and proportions of a certain kind of column. This leaves room for creativity, but the more perfected and thereby beautiful the architectural designs already conceived are, the less room there is to create more beautiful forms by deviating from what already exists. Therefore, the more beautiful existing designs are, the more architects should be willing to copy.

Uniqueness and beauty are therefore more likely than not to be at odds with each other. If the architect aims to create beauty, copying and drawing inspiration from others should play a significant role in his work. He should not strive for uniqueness.

One might think that applying universal principles in architecture limits the architect’s creativity. It might, but given what has been explained so far it is more likely to lead creativity in the direction of creating value.
The ability of an architect to abstract timeless principles for beauty from the built environment enables him to apply them creatively, like many architects around the turn of the twentieth century did. The result is architecture that is both innovative and beautiful.

These principles for architectural beauty are universal, because they follow from human nature and the way in which architecture evolves towards its most beautiful potential. As long as our nature with respect to beauty does not change, these principles will remain universal.


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