Structural History - A Basic Element for Teaching Creativity

Regarding today's built environment an increasing rationalized planning of engineering structures, whereas the individual boundary conditions are often neglected, can be noticed. The results are seldom satisfying from a technical, aesthetical and social point of view. This paper focuses on structural history as a basic element for evolving creativity in structural engineering ant last but not least to enhance the whole quality of the build environment. It will be shown that the border between art and engineering is purely artificial; furthermore the acceptance of rational as well as emotional arguments is necessary to create technological, aesthetical, ecological and social satisfying structures. As structural history points out the dependencies of the boundary conditions and the influence of the designer's personality it is predestinated to mirror the requirements of a holistic design. Therefore it can become an essential element in teaching.