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Design with and Without Architects - Two Footbridges at Guadalajara

Author(s):

Medium: conference paper
Language(s): English
Conference: Footbridge 2008 - Footbridges for Urban Renewal, Third International Conference on Footbridges, 2-4 July 2008, Porto, Portugal
Published in:
Page(s): 129-130
Year: 2008
Abstract: Public opinion in many communities is contributing to the growing demand for structures that are more than just utilitarian. Possibly because public authorities believe that only architects can deliver attractive designs, in recent years more and more of these professionals have become involved in public works in general and footbridges in particular. Bridges, however, are a product of engineering in no need whatsoever of adornments or inefficient members to enhance their elegance. On the occasion of the nearly simultaneous design and construction of two footbridges at the same location, one with and the other without a participating architect, this paper analyzes and compares the differences between the two in terms of the relative importance of the design goals and the procedures followed to reach them. The authors sustain that good form follows function design yields solutions that meet even the most exacting aesthetic standards, provided that the designer observes a few basic rules about structural form, bridge integration in the landscape, transparency, slenderness and harmony. Where architects are involved, the engineer’s main challenge consists in translating geometrical requirements into a structural concept in which the artistic design must go hand-inhand with the efficient use of materials. In such cases, close cooperation between architect and engineer is vital to a satisfactory final product.
Keywords:
conceptual design serviceability safety cooperation economy engineer elegance site constraints creativity architect
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This creative work is copyrighted. The copyright holder(s) do(es) not grant any usage rights other than viewing and downloading the work for personal use. Further copying or publication requires the permission of the copyright holder(s).

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  • About this
    data sheet
  • Reference-ID
    10074332
  • Published on:
    25/10/2016
  • Last updated on:
    07/12/2021
 
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