Being an Architect’s Engineer

I've been pondering what makes our engineers so special... They are architect's engineers.

There is something really magical about the relationship between the questioning and rational parts of the mind. It's a duality that is usually in perfect balance, with the problems created on one side solved by the skills on the other. Such is the relationship between your typical architect and engineer where an architect is trained to question and an engineer, trained to solve problems.

Although the calmness and productive relationship that evolves from this usual relationship works well at creating the tried and true, it doesn't push boundaries or encourage innovation.

An architect's engineer needs to go backward to go forward. They need to adopt a mind that questions everything so as to clearly understand if what they are providing is even necessary. They question the norms and standards to see if they really do apply to peculiar situations, pushing harder to create new standards of excellence. Our engineers do this all the time!

Above all, the architect's engineer creates with a vision of invisibility! Understanding the Miesian mantra adopted from Robert Browning, of “less is more," they seek to provide “inspirational environments” that act as if their work isn't there: we create light without light fittings and air conditioning without the ductwork.  Their work is beautiful engineering that is easily understood. It works with the architecture and isn't applied to it.

The best thing about our engineers is that they actually influence our ideas as we seek to seamlessly integrate our work and create outstanding buildings, especially with regard to sustainable principles.  I firmly believe our engineers understand architects (and vice versa) better than any others in the country.

- Posted Sept. 19, 2011