Structure is an essential part of any piece of architecture. Frankly, it is a reason buildings do not fall down. Whether it is a house, a bridge or a stadium – it is subjected to a number of loads which have to be resisted in one way or another. Structures serve this purpose of transferring loads from the points at which they are applied to the foundations. No building can possibly exist without this component and quite often architecture is defined by structures rather than the other way around. In any case, it certainly has to be a point of much consideration on behalf of both architects and structural engineers.
Biological structures came to exists much earlier than the man-made structures, let alone the structures in architecture. If you think about it, almost every example of flora and fauna has a structure to resist mechanical forces in order to prevent breaking. Human bodies have a structure – a skeleton combined with muscles and skin provide human beings with stability letting us stand up but also with flexibility letting us move, it also gives our internal organs adequate shelter so that they can function properly. The structure of a human body is indeed complex almost beyond understanding, the structure of any human-made structure, on the other hand, the structure of buildings looked into in this particular essay can be and should be understood at least by anyone participating in the process of designing anything to do with buildings.
The most straightforward way to visualise the role of a structure is to imagine a typical house as a container which hides and provides shelter for its contents. Each wall of that container is subjected to a number of loads of various nature: the self-weight of the building, the impo...
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...ments to buildings that are to be considered skyscrapers.
To sum up, structures are unavoidable and like it or not an architect has to clearly understand their purpose, as well as the principles they are governed by. Of course, satisfying the requirements that the laws of physics apply to every object on Earth put us into a certain frame limiting the freedom. Of course, buildings designed in vacuum without the constraints of all the forces acting would be much more interesting and would allow for more freedom in expressing ideas. However, building without the need of structure would eliminate the factor of the challenge to fuse functionality with aesthetics, which possibly is one of the main reasons why architecture is a form of art. Yes, structural part of buildings can be a huge constraint but, on the other hand, it turns good modern architects into great ones.
The history of Architecture started long time ago. The nomadic were groups of people whom move from one place to another in order find shelter and food to survive. As they progress, their techniques to survive evolve. The need for a permanent shelter became vital for a better stability of the group. This is the time when the first structures that provided protection appeared. Post and lintel were the first forms of Architecture, that satisficed the basic needs. Architecture evolved to be more sophisticated and fulfill the people’s needs. Consequently, Architecture evolved throughout different periods such as: Ancient architecture, Romanesque, The medieval, Renaissance, Early modern, and the industrial age, Modernism and Contemporary architecture. During the Medieval period a style of Architecture named Gothic Architecture was very notorious. The concept of this type of Architecture still continuous now days, in the city of Los Angeles many building have taken this concept of Gothic Architectural Style and have developed to a new level of experience and expression. Some of them have recreated in a modern way the features of the physical aspects of this style. Other structures have taken this concept beyond the physical features and used the emotional concept behind Gothic Style to connect people feelings with magnificent elements of the Cathedrals.
It is amazing how architecture has blossomed. As technology has grown and people have gained knowledge in the wide array of architecture many different forms have developed.
There is a lot that can be learned from architecture from our past. Every structure had its own purpose and story of its origin. The battle at the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE was the breaking point in Constantine's quest for power. He had been proclaimed Augustus by the troops in Britain in 306 CE, after the death of his father in York, and even though he had no legal right to that title, he refused to relinquish it. Maxentius also claimed the title of Augustus of the western empire. The conflict finally resulted in the battle of the Milvian Bridge just North of Rome, when Constantine's army defeated the numerically superior, but less experienced troops of Maxentius. Maxentius fell to his death while trying to flee across the Tiber River, as a temporary bridge made of boats collapsed under him and his troops.
Metal and wood, bricks and stone; Webster’s Dictionary defines a building as “a structure (such as a house, hospital, school, etc.) with a roof and walls that is used as a place for people to live, work, do activities, store things, etc.” Buildings are all this and more. Buildings tell a story. The design of a building reveals a story of the time period in which it was built. It allows a glimpse into the past or a peek into the future. For the designer or architect, it is an expression of what inspires them. From the ancient ruins in Greece to Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina; architecture inspires us.
Herzog and de Meuron work together as architect partners. Their designs for most of their buildings have a common or similar nature. This nature carries out the simplicity of the shape of a box, which consists of a flat roof and large windows. This design gives the characteristics of Herzog and de Meuron’s buildings. In other words, we can say that this is their buildings’ identity. Indeed, this design is very similar to Frank Lloyd Wright’s design, which also shows today’s modern style of architecture. Their designs both carry the philosophy of “organic architecture”. This means the building is designed to fit its natural surroundings. Even the form of the building is designed to develop from its environment. So to speak, we can say that the building seems to grow out of its natural surroundings. In short, Herzog and de Meuron, as well as Frank Lloyd Wright, both design building in their natural form, assimilating its form to the environment.
(Image taken from Tranchtenberg, Marvin, Isabelle Hyman. Architecture: From Prehistory to Postmodernity. Second Edition. Prentice Hall, Inc. New Jersey: 2002.)
"Complexity and Contradiction" in Architecture by Robert venturi addresses architecture as the only place where redundant and simple construction, in thinking and in material reality takes shape.The objective of the series was to explore and promote ideas that were too complex or involved for exhibit, and were therefore written on museum exbhition.
“Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture was rooted in Nature; he called it Organic. At the heart of his work was simplicity, harmony, unity, and integrity” (Lind, C., 1992).
With the help of architectural engineers, our world has become very civilized and advanced over the past decades. Like all other engineers, architectural engineers use logic and creativity to solve problems. They come up with effective designs to assist people in their everyday tasks. In our daily lives we are surrounded by buildings. Places that were once a dessert are turned into cities that now hold amazing buildings. Houses, schools, shopping centers, offices, apartments, airports, etc. are very essential in our society. These buildings do not only please the eye, but they also provide us with shelter and are made to withstand hurricanes, earthquakes, snow storms, and strong winds. Would these buildings still function efficiently and provide us with a stable shelter if it were not for architectural engineers? There are different engineers with each their own expertise, but for buildings in particular, architectural engineers are needed. Architectural engineering, also known as building engineering, is an interdisciplinary program that integrates important knowledge from different disciplines such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering , architecture, physics, chemistry, biology, and economics (“Building Engineering”). An architectural engineering professional has to master all the different disciplines because the design of building systems often requires the application of the disciplines. Architectural engineers are important in today’s society because they possess the knowledge and qualifications to work on complex buildings, lead project teams, and most importantly, to provide us with a safe environment.
With the interaction between the development of computational approaches in architecture and the contemporary forms of spatial design intelligence, some new architectural design theories emerged to make differences between architects and control designing processes. These theories are almost employed in all designing realms, from architecture to urban design to provide fields of ideas and solutions that privilege by complexity. Most of these theories are oriented to relay on understanding and using computational methods to generate exotic and complex geometries. In this respect, three of these theories will discussed and tested against three buildings. The theories are: parametric design, genetic architecture and emergence, which characterize some of the contemporary architectural design approaches.
Architecture today is more focusing on aesthetic instead of the surrounding environment. In the result, the importance of the relationship between architecture and environment have been neglected and forgotten.
While designing any building, one should design it according to the specific standard design codes and also while connecting all the structural members one should maintain proper attention. One should avoid on-site design modifications as much as possible before consulting a structural designer. By taking these necessary precautions, one can prevent the structure from collapse.
Jencks believes “the glass-and-steel box has become the single most used form in Modern Architecture and it signifies throughout the world ‘office building’” (27). Thus, modern architecture is univalent in terms of form, in other words it is designed around one out of a few basic values using a limited number of materials and right angles. In...
Human beings are susceptible to the force of nature. They had to make shelter for themselves. Material was one of the most basic tools to create shelter. By development of building construction, selection and use of materials also developed. The relationship between the architecture and the materials before invention of modern materials was simple and generally naturally [1]; in the past, architects always use tradition materials according their experimental skills. For choosing structural materials, they had attention to important factors such as availability (local materials) and harmony with climate and culture [2], although this way was forward with feedback. But this relationship was not continuing simply.
What is architecture? Is it the practice of designing or rather the art of designing buildings? Is architecture the necessity of shelter? If so, then when did humanity transcend living in caves and progress on to communal living as seen in the remains of Catalhoyuk? Humanity did not stop the progression of architecture at communal living; architecture continued to evolve to accommodate the ever increasing needs of humanity. Has architecture existed since the days that humanity resided in caves and simply evolved with humans to become the modern day building method? These questions and many more have been asked and debated for centuries, and as architects we study the arguments and ideals of the greatest of the host who have asked: what is architecture?