Part 1: Architect’s Guide 1 - 3 2 FUNCTIONAL QUALITIES 2.1 Architectural creativity and flexibility Construction methods bring about new architectural, aesthetic and artistic solutions, breaking free of traditional practice. Awareness of environmental problems caused by our lifestyles means that we need to invent building systems that can meet these new challenges (see Section 7). Steel is the material ‘par excellence’ when it comes to inventing new structures and forms. All solutions are possible, from the very simplest to the most challenging. Steel can be used for small buildings as well as large structures, for routine construction projects and those subject to complex urban constraints. Figure 2.1 Energy efficient design at GLA building, London No other material is used to make structures which are so thin, light and airy. Forms can be created using different structural effects and envelopes with pure or finely sculpted curves. Designers can give free reign to their imagination and creativity. Within the overall architectural concept, the structural steelwork may be concealed or exposed to reveal its essence. In both cases the advantages remain: facility for modular design, compactness, economy of material, freedom of use, speed of assembly etc.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzE2MDY=