Exploring Structural Art: Past, Present, Future

1. Workshop 1 • Questions?

2. Tower and the Bridge • 1 A New Art Form • 2 The Ideals of Structural Art • 3 The History of Structural Art • 4 Engineering and Science • 5 Structures and Machines • 6 Structures and Architecture • 7 The Three Dimensions of Structure • 8 Structural Art and Society

3. 1 A New Art Form • Static technology and structures also important (as opposed to machines) no potholes! • merging of art and technology • starts in a big way with industrial revolution • engineers can be artists • engineering art is not equal to architecture

4. 2 The Ideals of Structural Art • structural art is modern, not modern art • emerges due to IR and in democracies • freedom and discpline in balance • efficiency – minimize materials • economy – conserve public resources • harsh times creates more advances • efficiency and economy can equal ugly you need elegance!

5. 3 The History of Structural Art • eiffel tower splits architecture in to two periods • prior to eiffel tower = iron • post eiffel tower = architecture switches to art form, because of reinf. conc.?? • post ww2 people look to architecture to overcome deficiencies in cities

6. 4 Engineering and Science • techonology and engineering are different from science • they have parallel activities, but • technology... building for (wo)man’s want or need • science generalizes knowledge – but engineering does not always follow... (gives examples where techonology does not always follow science)

7. 5 Structures and Machines • theme: structures and machines have strong relationship • need both, machines make structures, machines go in structures, infrastructure, • static v dynamic • technology equals no art? maybe/maybe not

8. 6 Structures and Architecture • some structures come directly from engineers • structural design large scale / single use • architecture – smaller scale with complex human usage – private house is archetype • structural design as an art form separate from architecture? • structural engineer not equal to architect • modern materials at first introduction offend some in architecture (steel?) • tech schools considered offensive by some

9. 7 The Three Dimensions of Structure • scientific-engineer • science vs. engineer redux • efficiency constrained by safety • social-architect • society and public support constraints, $ • economy • symbolic-sculptor • bridges are our most durable monuments (?) • elegance

10. 8 Structural Art and Society • when structure and form are one – life is good • 3 s’s reviewed • analysis/computers are not a substitute for human creativity • very keen on design competitions • materials have their own significance lots of political connections?

11. For structures which you encounter in the world around you, you should be able to:1. explain qualitatively the means by which loads are transferred to the ground2. evaluate the qualifications of the structure as a work of structural art 3. research the social, symbolic and scientific aspects of the structure and express your findings clearly in both written, graphical, and spoken form