Architectural history is tied in a large part to its theory. What is possible on the Artistic side, is a function of the available technology and materials. Locally the Chicago Style, on buildings Like Nova Scotia Furnishings, was used to show modernity. Light facades filled with windows, were only possible through the use of the latest methods and materials, however none of these buildings would have happened were it not for Steel Frames and the Elevator.
To that end, besides looking at individual building histories, a discussion of the science of Architecture is in order, and will make up a new series of posts. This series of posts will be based on a series of programs produced by TV Ontario in 1998, Called the Science of Architecture. The TV Ontario Series was written and hosted by Don Westwood, and the material paralleled his Structures in Architecture Class at Carleton University.
This series will hopefully answer the question, why buildings don’t fall down, and give some hint to the reasons for their methods of construction.
The Series:
Loads
Forces on a Structure
Triangles and Trusses
Structural Systems
The Arch
The Shell
Suspended Structures
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge
