Architecture is the art of designing and constructing physical structures
 to optimally house/accommodate  social structures
Engineering: "the profession of a Civil Engineer; being the art of directing
 the great sources of power in Nature for the use and convenience of man"
 Thomas Tredgold 1838
Assignment-2 link
Read this article about the relationship between engineering and architecture by Chris Luebkeman
Final Assignment 3
 Expanded version: "The profession in which knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences, gained by study, experience,  and practice, is

applied with judgment to develop ways to use, economically, the materials and

forces of nature for the benefit of mankind. "

Interesting article about the need for structural knowledge by architects

              Two different manners in which we can minimize the number of columns that come down to earth to support the building above:


Compressive arch spanning the 'gap' below


 
  Exchange House London 1990 by SOM

  http://som.com/content.cfm/broadgate_exchange_house

Here's another example of an arch-supported structure
spanning a void
 
and here's the interior and digital model


 Catenary suspension system spanning the 'gap' below




Federal Reserve Bank Minneapolis 1973 Gunnar Birkerts
link to discussion on structural expression of catenary

Another example of a building relying on a tensile system to create an almost column-free floor plan
The Mantua Paper Mill in Italy by Luigi Nervi

Link to another solution on how to span a large void, through Vierendeel trusses that use bending to resist loads, rather than pure compression or pure tension!
Here's two examples in Montreal of the same system

  .......................
                       Facade detail showing compressive catenary arch.
version-1

Comparison between two office buildings using
a catenary (or parabola) as support element:
The Exchange builing in London by SOM
uses the catenary in compression,
while the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis
by Gunnar Birkerts uses  the catenary in tension.
Another example of catenary construction here


To Architectural Structures Cover Page  
To Page List
Link to 2009 Lachine Canal Pictures
To Crib-Sheet for exam
to Pavilion links
to lecture-list
Facade detail showing tensile catenary arch.


Archived links
                  go here

Assigment 2 fall 2011

Assignment-1-2011

outline of Assignment 1
outline of Assignment 2
  you can email me at pieter.sijpkes@mcgill.ca for questions