55
architecture, Building engineering,
and Civil engineering
This section looks at the characteristics of the primary environments and systems that are present in architecture and civil engineering. These are individually huge fields, of course, with distinctly
different design objectives and final products. Yet again there is a
surprising amount of overlap in concerns, viewed from the perspective of introducing new materials into design vocabularies. These
professions also necessarily come together and interact in complex
design situations.
Any major building, for example, is designed by a whole team of
designers from different professions who undertake different roles
within the process. Initial forms and organizations may well be
developed by the architectural team, with the primary responsibility for interfacing with the client and assuring that overall design
objectives are met, but as design development occurs, structural,
mechanical, and electrical engineers quickly become involved, as
do a host of other consultants (acousticians, lighting experts, and
so forth), depending on the nature of the building. These disciplines interact with one another, and decisions made by each influence design acts of the others. In other domains, structural engineers
would normally take primary responsibility for civil works such as
bridges, but again other disciplines are quickly involved. Other
branches of civil engineering would assume primary responsibility
for other kinds of infrastructure of projects, but even a casual
reading of newspaper accounts of any big civil engineering infrastructure projects reveals how many other disciplines are involved
(from planners and architects to lighting and telecommunications
experts). We obviously cannot treat nuances in detail in this text
but rather attempt to highlight some of the major issues that collectively face designers of projects such as these.
the Design and Development Context
Unlike products that are normally produced in quantity and sold
to customers, most complex buildings are typically uniquely
designed and are one-off constructions, albeit they incorporate
many mass-produced products (e.g., doors) that are targeted for
general use in buildings. Building projects may be sponsored by
private or public groups. In the private arena, it is common for a
single developer or development team to determine the general
project intent and acquire a specific site for the building. The
development team, often with the aid of an architect, also typically
Product Design, Architecture, and Engineering
architecture, Building engineering,
and Civil engineering
This section looks at the characteristics of the primary environments and systems that are present in architecture and civil engineering. These are individually huge fields, of course, with distinctly
different design objectives and final products. Yet again there is a
surprising amount of overlap in concerns, viewed from the perspective of introducing new materials into design vocabularies. These
professions also necessarily come together and interact in complex
design situations.
Any major building, for example, is designed by a whole team of
designers from different professions who undertake different roles
within the process. Initial forms and organizations may well be
developed by the architectural team, with the primary responsibility for interfacing with the client and assuring that overall design
objectives are met, but as design development occurs, structural,
mechanical, and electrical engineers quickly become involved, as
do a host of other consultants (acousticians, lighting experts, and
so forth), depending on the nature of the building. These disciplines interact with one another, and decisions made by each influence design acts of the others. In other domains, structural engineers
would normally take primary responsibility for civil works such as
bridges, but again other disciplines are quickly involved. Other
branches of civil engineering would assume primary responsibility
for other kinds of infrastructure of projects, but even a casual
reading of newspaper accounts of any big civil engineering infrastructure projects reveals how many other disciplines are involved
(from planners and architects to lighting and telecommunications
experts). We obviously cannot treat nuances in detail in this text
but rather attempt to highlight some of the major issues that collectively face designers of projects such as these.
the Design and Development Context
Unlike products that are normally produced in quantity and sold
to customers, most complex buildings are typically uniquely
designed and are one-off constructions, albeit they incorporate
many mass-produced products (e.g., doors) that are targeted for
general use in buildings. Building projects may be sponsored by
private or public groups. In the private arena, it is common for a
single developer or development team to determine the general
project intent and acquire a specific site for the building. The
development team, often with the aid of an architect, also typically
Product Design, Architecture, and Engineering