ABSTRACT
Structures are the portions of a building designed to resist the loads imparted upon them by supplying the strength, stability and relative rigidity required to prevent buildings from collapsing or failing to meet required operations. Structures give form to spatial volumes that are inextricably connected to the function, aesthetics, materiality, assembly, economics, and experience associated with architectural design. For most of human history, architecture, structure, and construction have been nearly indistinguishable from each other–so much so that, as Eduard Seckler observed, the terms “building, structure, and construction” are used interchangeably–and incorrectly. Many ancient structures and industrial machines have clearly associative relationships between their structure and expression. Firmness ensures structural integrity, Commodity strives for functional accommodation for occupants and building systems, and Delight is the expression and experience of beauty through design. Stability and suitability are based on the physical configuration of a structure.
