Inter Relationship between Structural Engineering and Architecture - Essay Example

"The Inter-relationship between Structural Engineering and Architecture" The creators of great architecture in the past were neither architects nor engineers in the sense we would know have today. Rather it was the Master Builder' who would do the spatial planning and aesthetic expression. Moreover, the 'Master Builder' is also responsible for the structural compliance of the building. Yet there is evidence to support the notion that these 'Master Builders' seemed not aware the distinction of the two roles they do. The 'Master Builder' (Ardill) would attend to both aesthetic and structural concerns as of equal importance to the final work and both. Throughout human history, architects have ranged from learned men revered by royalty, to anonymous craftsmen rising through the ranks of guilds. Both have built castles, cathedrals, and chateaux. Until the last century, there were no schools of architecture, no building codes, etc. There were no ready-made building materials to purchase structures. Anyone could hang out a shingle as an architect, and did (Schekkerman). Barbacci (Barbacci) describes; traditionally, the architect was a master in control of all functional, structural, and aesthetic decisions; the method of construction; and the supervision of the building process. This tradition continued until the 19th century, where the complexity of the application of structural steel forced architects to deligate the matter to the structural engineers. The primary role of the architect as the overall builder was further diminished during the 20th century by the growth in complexity of building systems such as the passenger elevators (Schekkerman). Today, building human shelter is no longer a work of any single individual, rather by a group of specialists from various fields. Thus, building a shelter is already a collective effort amongst talents of a team. Architects now had to collaborate with mechanical and electrical engineers as well. Engineers in these disciplines were experts in their subject matter but not on buildings and could not assume the role of the architect. The need for people whose professional focus was on the design of buildings but whose education as engineers allowed them to master the technologies and materials in structural, mechanical, and electrical systems led to the emergence of architectural engineering as a new profession (Schekkerman). The relationship between practising architects and structural engineers is to achieve the common goal of creating a work of architecture. Yet the very roots of modern misconceptions about this process are that the conventional' architect purports to represent art while the conventional' engineer purports to represent science. This was not, however how the creators of Gothic Cathedrals saw it (Ardill). Circa 25 BCE, Vitruvius described the role of an architect as (Schekkerman): The ideal architect should be a man of letters, a mathematician, familiar with historical studies, a diligent of philosophy, acquainted with music, not ignorant of medicine, learned in the responses of jurisconsultis, familiar with astronomy and astronomical calculations. The architect has the vision; the structural engineer creates the reality. Engineers are artists grounded in concrete, steel, and glass (among other materials), and it is up to them to ensure that a building can be built as it was designed. Engineers work in close partnership with architects throughout the design process, and when analysing the finished product, it is often difficult to clearly define between the two professionals (Hagberg). The Architect has always been perceived as the "Artist". Most Architectural drawings can be a true work of art that has been affectionately created with a zealous eye for detail. The architect coordinates the entire design and ensures that from the aesthetic point of view his intentions are being conveyed with every detail accounted for. His drawings are a means of "selling a dream" and CAD is regarded as a tool that enables him to do that. The Structural Engineer on the other hand is the "Scientist". He takes the original Architect's concept and applies formulae that will make the design "work". His drawings are more "factual" with less emphasis on aesthetics, conveying what is required to carcass the building. Structural drawings convey design intent; an engineer's mind is more focused on portraying his information clearly and unambiguously (Taylor). Engineers begins to work on architectural plans as early as during the conceptual design phase, allowing more time for collaboration between engineer and architect. Engineers play a direct role in determining what materials would be best for the structure, and the type of construction systems that would work well with the design. As an example, Frank Gehry, a famous architect, uses a titanium cladding in most of his buildings. But he has to rely on the structural analysis of structural engineer in order to determine what type of metal to use for the cladding frame, how the frame will be attached to the shell of the structure, what the shell should be made from, how it should be supported, and so on (Hagberg). Another most important role of the structural engineer is to ensure that a building site is suitable for the proposed structure. External forces such as wind, earthquakes, and other natural elements and events are all taken into accounts. Structural engineers will conduct experiments, tests, and simulations in order to determine how best to address and counteract these forces (Hagberg). While ultimate responsibility for a finished building tends to fall on the architect's shoulders, - at least in public discussion - it is important to understand the essential role the engineer plays in determining so many aspects of the structure. Many of the most famous buildings are successful not only because of their remarkable shape and because of form, but because of the great strides forward, the engineers were required to take (Hagberg). Therefore, architects, structural engineers and building services engineers should play an important role in any design team as they need to work collaboratively to achieve the same final goal, yet the way in which they reach that eventual end is often contrasting. Despite their common aim and the fact that they work closely together, the different disciplines are in fact worlds apart. The cultural differences between them have had an amazing effect on the way the project is handled (Taylor). Belcher (Belcher) characterises architecture and engineering as "two dissimilar disciplines, which must work together due to the vast array of aesthetic and technical needs of a complex modern building." The dissimilarity stems from the motivations and training of traditional architects and engineers. In some quarters structural engineering is seen strictly as a practical field, populated by people who possess a ''let's get the job done'' attitude. However, others approach the profession as a highly creative endeavour, one that involves close collaboration between engineer and architect from the early stages of conception to a building's execution (Altmann). Leading architects and engineers however tend to share a common ground at the conceptual stages in the project. The engineer is prepared to be creative with the architect. The fact that leading engineers are prepared to engage creatively to produce a better work of architecture is admirable; as the engineer has the greatest risk in all works of architecture. They should see to it, for the sake of their careers that a structural failure will never occur (Ardill). The planning effort for a building should is a team effort; a holistic approach, architect and engineer are present from the very start of conception (with other consultants). Ideas are jointly owned or authorless, this teamwork model' breaks down the distinct roles that engineer or architect might have (an architect could suggest an appropriate structural form as much as the structural engineer may suggest an aesthetic improvement). This approach helps to intensify the sense of authorship of the work between all involved (Ardill). Good coordination between architecture design and the structural elements from the early phases of design is beneficial to the success of the project. One example of architects who uses this philosophy is Santiago Calatrava, (born July 28, 1951), Spanish architect whose work has become increasingly popular worldwide. Calatrava's unique, creative, and highly influential style combines a striking visual architectural style that interacts harmoniously with the rigid principles of engineering. His work often draws on form and structure found in the natural world, and can be described as anthropomorphic. His works have elevated the design of some civil engineering projects such as bridges to new heights. He has designed numerous train stations, heralded for their bright, open, and easily-traveled spaces (Santiago Calatrava). Calatrava, being both an architect and engineer, once said; "I believe geometry is fundamental to understanding architecture. I approach my work through geometry. In understanding the world of architecture, the language of geometry is as important as the language of structure. Both are significant sources of inspiration for me, along with the properties of materials and the world of nature." The Gothic architecture is a good example of this concept. The Gothic is an architectural concept well attached with its structure. Works during the Gothic period have shown how a symbiotic relationship between structure and space can produce architectural masterpieces of pure refinement. A style can be appreciated from both an artistic and scientific viewpoint. The Gothic cast aside the notions about the character of masonry as a visually heavy and monolithic material. The wall was dematerialised; space was transformed with light. The recognisable elements of the Gothic style the rib vault, pointed arch and flying buttress were devices created with an important structural role but also are aesthetically expressive in their own right (Ardill). Today, there are many examples of architectural masterpiece thought impossible to successfully created without strong and creative links between architect and engineer. These masterpieces include Waterloo International Terminal by Nicholas Grimshaw and Tony Hunt; The British Museum by Foster and Partners and Buro Happold; The Millennium Bridge by Foster & Arup; and New Parliamentary Building and Westminster Underground by Hopkins, Arup and Jubilee line engineers. Many of these projects share a common aesthetic between structure and architecture. This solution is born from an iterative process between architect and engineer, sketching, detailing and refining every structural component, junction and interface. The British Museum for example is the result of an indivisible architect-engineer process; a series of structural engineering obstacles and a free flow of ideas at the earliest stages originated the grid shell idea that debatably was jointly created by architect and engineer (Ardill). Structural engineer and architecture professor Guy Nordenson has successfully collaborated with many of the leading architects practicing today. He recently gained attention for his work on an early version of the design that was eventually adopted for the Freedom Tower, the building that will be the centerpiece of the rebuilt World Trade Center site (Altmann). Nordenson's embrace of the collaborative process and his ability to convey engineering principles to non-engineers in a way that they can understand makes him unique in his profession. ''A lot of architects get frustrated with engineers because they only see things in terms of numbers, and he isn't like that,'' said Rebecca Nixon, a structural engineer at Nordenson's firm who studied with him at Princeton, where she was a member of the class of 2001. ''He knows how to relate to architects, so when architects have an idea about something, he is able to talk in their terms (Altmann)." Due to differences in goals and philosophy, sometimes an architect and engineer does not get long well with each other during the course of the project. However, as we have seen from the gothic architecture and from some notable architecture of today, architecture and structural engineering can work hand in hand to achieve magnificent architecture that is truthful in its form. Architecture is an art as well as science; Great buildings can be achieved by taking advantage of human knowledge in art and science. Works Cited Altmann, Jennifer Greenstein. Nordenson engineers niche through creativity and collaboration. September 5, 2004. Princeton weekly bulletin Vol. 94, No. 1. 13 Dec. 2005 . Ardill, Andrew E. W. The benefits of the inter-relationship of structural engineering and architecture. (n.d.). Andrew E. W. Ardill. Final Year Architecture Student. Queens University Belfast. Barbacci, Mario R. Barbacci , "The Architect" . Volume 1 . Issue 2 . September 1998. Belcher, M. Clay, University of Kansas, "What is Architectural Engineering" 1996. Hagberg. Eva. Engineering: The Engineer's Role. (2004). Project Rebirth. 13 Dec. 2005. . "RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SEISMIC CONSIDERATIONS WITHIN THE DESIGN TEAM." (n.d.). Fema.gov.13 Dec. 2005. "Santiago Calatrava." Wikipedia. 12 December 2005. Wikimedia. 13 Dec. 2005. . Schekkerman, Jaap. B.Sc. The Architect & the Architectural Engineer, two different Roles. 2005. aap Schekkerman, B.Sc. 13 Dec. 2005. . Taylor, Lynne. "Architects are from Venus, Engineers are from Mars... "18 December 2002. Bentleyuser.org. 13 Dec. 2005.. Read More