Influences

Climate
One of the most important influences on architecture is the climate of the area in which the building is constructed. Buildings in cold climates have significant amounts of insulation. They are usually sealed in order to prevent heat loss, and openings such as windows tend to be small or non-existent. Buildings in warm climates, by contrast, tend to be constructed of lighter materials and to allow significant cross-ventilation through openings in the fabric of the building.

Culture
The way of life of building occupants, and the way they use their shelters, is of great influence on building forms. The size of family units, who shares which spaces, how food is prepared and eaten, how people interact and many other cultural considerations will affect the layout and size of dwellings.
For example, in East African tribes live in family compounds, surrounded by marked boundaries, in which separate single-roomed dwellings are built to house different members of the family. By contrast, in Western Europe, a single dwelling is divided into separate rooms.
Culture also has a great influence on the appearance of buildings, as occupants often decorate buildings in accordance with local customs and beliefs.

Environment and materials
The local environment and the construction materials can influence the design of houses. Areas rich in trees will build a wooden shelter, while areas without much wood may use mud or stone.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki.architecture