MashUp of 3 Architectural Articles

Architecture begins with geometry. Familiar shapes and details are used in unexpected ways. Buildings may incorporate symbols to make a statement or simply to delight the viewer. “Through architecture it's possible to gauge many things about a culture, such as lifestyle, artistic sensibilities and social structure.” Since earliest times, architects have relied on mathematical principles. Every culture can inspire a type of architecture that can inspire a type of architecture that can range from landmarks to everyday homes. The ancient Roman architect Marcus Vitruvius believed that builders should always use precise ratios when constructing temples. Religion and family seem to be the most common influences overall. "For without symmetry and proportion no temple can have a regular plan," Vitruvius wrote in his famous treatise De Architectura, or Ten Books on Architecture. Postmodern architecture evolved from the modernist movement, yet contradicts many of the modernist ideas. Combining new ideas with traditional forms, postmodernist buildings may startle, surprise, and even amuse. A country is not only identified by its people and government, but by its architecture.  Each culture is unique and the more we learn about them, the more we appreciate our surroundings and understand why certain things appeal to us.

Overall theory:
Architecture combines innovation with tradition in its use of symbols and geometrical/symmetrical forms to express or capture a culture's rich framework.

Sources:
Black text: Added in by myself to create better flow of coherency
Green text: "Relations between Architecture and Culture," Hubpages, accessed 12 May 2013, link
Blue text: "Geometry and architecture: How is geometry used in architecture?" About.com, accessed 12 May 2013, link
Pink text: "Postmodernism: Postmodernist Buildings and Design," About.com, accessed 12 may 2013, link