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“The Igloo, Northern Canada” Photo Courtesy Nunavut Tourism Accessed September 25, 2011. |
We discovered in class that the word tectonic has many different definitions. The definition that stands out the most to us is the Sanskrit definition of tectonic: the craft of carpentry and use of the axe. It focuses on the act of construction rather than the visual appearance of the final product. We learned that tectonic is the layering of decisions and materials. This definition relates to a documentary series that we watched in Natural and Human Systems called Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture. In the documentary it talks about the skilled craft and technique it takes to build an igloo. The igloo is a unique structure that requires a lot of thought to be put into each block of snow that is cut. This reminds us of the description heard in class about tectonics being a series of layers and decisions. Every block that makes up the walls of the igloo has to be carved out of the snow and shaved into a specific shape with precise angles. Today only a select few skilled craftsmen know the specialized way to build an igloo. The construction of an igloo is a rapidly dying art. We hope that the knowledge of igloo construction will continue to be passed down to future generations, or else unfortunately it will be lost forever and we will no longer see igloos in the north. This makes us wonder if all the personal craftsmanship is slowly dying in this age of mass production?
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