"We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us. "
Explain what you think this statement means and discuss the extent to which
you do or do not agree with it. Support your views with reasons and/or
specific examples from your experience, observations, or reading. （技术进步
对人类的影响）

We are influenced by the exterior shape of buildings, as well as by the
arrangement of multiple buildings and by a building s various architectural
and aesthetic elements. While I doubt that buildings determine our
character or basic personality trails, I agree that they can greatly
influence our attitudes, moods, and even life styles.
On the structural and multi-structural scales, the arrangement of numerous
buildings can shape us in profound ways. High-density commercial districts
with numerous skyscrapers might result in stressful commuting, short
tempers, a feeling of dehumanization, and so on. A "campus" arrangement of
smaller, scattered buildings can promote health, well-being, and stress
reduction by requiring frequent brisk outdoor jaunts. Buildings with
multiple floors can also "shape" us, literally, by requiring exercise up
and down stairs.
As for floor plans and internal space, physical arrangement of workspaces
can shape workers attitudes toward work and toward one another. Sitting in
small, gray cubicles lined up in militaristic rows is demoralizing, leaving
workers with the feeling that they are little more than impersonal cogs of
some office machine. But creative design of workspaces in varied
arrangements can create feelings of uniqueness and importance in each
employee. Workspace relationships that suggest some sort of hierarchy may
breed competitiveness among coworkers, and may encourage a more
bureaucratic approach to work.
Finally, as for aesthetic elements, the amount of light and location of
windows in a building can shape us in significant psychological ways. For
most people, daily tasks are more enjoyable in settings with plenty of
natural light and at least some natural scenery. Choice of colors can
influence our mood, concentration, and efficiency. Numerous psychological
studies show that different colors influence behavior, attitudes, and
emotions in distinctly different ways. Yellow enhances appetite, blue has a
tranquilizing effect, and gray is the color of choice for companies who
want their workers to be subservient.
In sum, our buildings, the space around them and the space within them, can
affect us in important ways that influence our outlook on life,
relationships with coworkers, and even physical health and well-being.