The Man Who Saved the Skyscraper (mentalfloss.com)
"One day, Khan was sitting in the Hancock's open-air plaza when two women began admiring the building. As his daughter writes, Khan couldn't help but eavesdrop. " 'The diagonals,' one woman explained, 'were placed on the facade with artistic intent by the architect.' " Khan was flattered: His design was so elegant, it could only be explained as an artistic addition."
A great excerpt from the today's Mental Floss article! We often see architects and engineers at odds over aesthetics vs. safety. Why do the two concepts need to be mutually exclusive? Do you have any examples to share where the design intent aligned perfectly with the performance requirements? How is this best achieved in an age where the disciplines are so specialized?
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Chad Morrison P.E., F.ASCE
Professional Engineer
Greenville RI
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