The Structural Basis of Architecture

One of the most important subjects in the education of an architect is architectural structures. It is also a principal concern in daily practice. The term architectural structures refers to the skeleton of buildings and all the methods and formulas required to calculate and design the various elements that allow a building to stand: footings, walls, columns, beams, arches, trusses, and the like. Given its technical nature, this subject has traditionally been taught from an engineering perspective, with textbooks that tend to be dry and filled with building examples that are of little interest to architects. The Structural Basis of Architecture represents a departure from that tradition, made possible through the collaborative efforts of an architect and an engineer. The book analyzes the structural principles behind many of the best-known and most beautiful works of architecture in history and current times, presenting the subject in a context very appealing to architects. Works by Alvar Aalto, Louis Kahn, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Norman Foster, and Santiago Calatrava, among others, are used to illustrate the different structural principles. An important feature of the book is its survey of architectural structures in the wide historical perspective of art, architecture, and engineering. The examples range from prehistoric monuments to contemporary works of art, buildings, and bridges. The result is a volume that enlivens the subject for students while also maintaining its authority as a reference for professionals.