Customer Reviews

Architect and Engineer: A Study in Sibling Rivalry

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This thick book was a requested Christmas present for an engineer. Love the title since also have an architect in family. It arrived earlier than expected in great shape.

This is a very important study of the line between the professions of architecture and engineering. The juxtaposition, however, often is expressed in terms of the artist and the engineer, with the architect showing the artistic tendency. My own particular interest is Chicago, and the Chicago story line is excellent, beginning in 1844 with John Van Osdel, the city's first professional architect. There is particular attention to William LeBaron Jenney, who is categorized as an architect, but one who breaks the mold by having more practical training than any major American architect of his generation. In Chicago, "Those like Jenney whose skills straddled architecture and engineering came to the fore." The account of Chicago, I am happy to say, has a wider sweep than steel framing, and also includes innovations in fireproofing and foundations.