Perspecta 31 ─ Reading Structures

"Reading Structures" Founded in the early 1950s, Perspecta is the oldest and mostdistinguished of the student-edited American architectural journals that have appeared in recentdecades. Perspecta 31 examines the relationship between architectural design and structuralengineering through the processes and products of both disciplines. The contributing architects,engineers, and historians explore how structures reflect both the professions and the cultures thatproduce them. The authors' common approach to structure, which carefully considers context, revealsthe politics, economic influences, design ideas, and chance circumstances that influence itsconfiguration. The resulting series of articles and case studies shows how one can understandstructures that are embedded in architecture. The journal looks specifically at issues ofcollaboration between architects and engineers. It also addresses the relationship of structuralform to materials, the transition from conceptual to actual structures, and the cultural history ofarchitectural and industrial structures.Reflecting the theme of structure as process, the journaldocuments an ongoing conversation between the editors, contributors, and others. The twelve articlesare followed by short responses, and major themes emerging from the articles are identified andexplored by the editors. The journal concludes with the results of an informal survey of architectson the role of structure in the design process.Contributors : Thomas H. Beeby, Eric DeLony, GregoryK. Dreicer, Hugh Dutton, Lucie Fontein, Antonio Juarez, Guy Nordenson, Alan Organschi, Tom F.Peters, Herman D. J. Spiegel, Carles Vallhonrat, Peter D. Waldman.