A Reflective View on Excerpts From the South by Lewis Mumford, Essay Example

This paper provides a reflective view on excerpts from the South by Lewis Mumford. The author points out that the original inhabitants from Europe arrived with their own distinct cultures. There was no culture in America other than that of the indigenous native Indians. Many of the new arrivals were adventurers more readily adapted to the role of trappers and the lifestyle of the Indians, as opposed to being suited to the courts of Europe.

The new American continent reminded them of early Europe and the woodlands of home. As such early settlements resembled European dwellings. They did not come to respect the wilderness for two centuries. Even the traditional log cabins were based upon a Swedish design. The clap board and shingle houses were adopted from Dutch and English designs. They have too experience the harshness of North American winters before they could improve the building materials to deal with warmth and damp prevention.

There was a shortage of architects until the arrival of Peter Harrison in Newport [mid-18th century]. The inability to understand climate differences from Europe delayed design improvements. The Architects had to adapt the buildings for regional consideration that included such items as sunlight, wind conditions and insulation. The example of the window shutter was to control both light and wind entry to the house. Later the idea was used by people who treated this as an ornament and pinned these to the side of the housing board. Changing climatic conditions are changing the way houses are being built today, with the use of modern materials and technology. In many regards we have regressed by over complicating out building codes and making basic needs too complex for basic living requirements.

The author makes the point that people often talk about regional character as if they were the same as aboriginal characteristics. He considers this to be a mistake and compares it to the wine culture of Burgundy in France. It takes hundreds of years to develop a unique wine culture in order to distinguish itself as a regional wine. It takes centuries to bring work like this into a harmonious balance and relationship. Same applies to architecture as we are only at the beginning of understanding our regionality in terms of knowledge about ourselves and the environment. What makes life habitable is an understanding of the culture of the region and the need for a universal side to it. It is the adoption of people from different cultural backgrounds to the new region that ultimately makes it culturally unique. It is the blending of these outside influences that enriches our environment and makes us open to new ideas and concepts. We bring with us our cultural heritage is and adapt these to our new environmental setting.