Structural Engineering and Architecture

The first meeting of this course will take place on September 6th at 6 PM in room 318. Interested students should plan to attend. This is due to no classes being offered on Labor Day.

This lecture course will give an insight into the interdependence of architecture and structural engineering. How do engineering problems relate to architecture? How can architects and engineers collaborate? What is the possible contribution of the architect in engineering tasks and vice-versa? The history of this relationship is illustrated by significant case studies. The works of some important personalities are examined. This will be completed by explaining own experiences by the lecturer. Basics of theory of structures show the way engineers think and influence architecture. P. ex. the principles of graphic static analysis are taught as far as interesting and accessible for architects and trained by exercises. The students have the possibility to find own examples of buildings to research and present. Also the students will deal with given built examples of interaction architect-engineer. There are architectural exercises to work out the design of structural types, especially structures formed by walls and slabs. Problems of infrastructural projects are discussed, e.g. bridges: what can be the contribution of an architect to bridge building (location, orientation, position of supports, structural type etc.)? The lectures will rather be spots on a personal selection of interesting elements and go into a certain depth with it instead of trying to be comprehensive.

FORMAT. There is one lecture per week. Some of the dates are reserved to student\’s presentation of their own research and discussion. Exercises are presented and discussed in the whole class. Architectural exercises are done in small groups of two or three students, shortly presented to all and discussed. In the same way, ongoing projects of the lecturer are presented to be criticised by the students. One or two reviews with other teachers and other classes shall be organized. The exercises will be done with sketches, hand-drawings, rough models.

EVALUATION. The students contributions to the course will be own research, technical exercises and architectural exercises. Each of these contributions will be evaluated based on the depth of understanding of the problem, the ability to solve it and the originality of the proposed solution.