Content area
Full Text
A PENSIVE AND PECULIAR PERSPECTIVE
In civil engineering the concept of 'art' is typically understood as the aesthetic elements created by the designer, as embellishment of architecture for example, or certain visual effects on a bridge design. The prospect of civil engineering being an art form remains outlandish and not something easily accepted by the scientific society. The main concern is that engineering is rooted in science and mathematics, both of which must fulfil a very specific logical function or some quantifiable purpose, while art does not necessarily seem to fulfil anything! To most civil engineers, art means nothing more than pretty colours, figures and forms, a nice façade on a building. Maybe 'art' even draws parallel to a mere 'pretty face', that is, one void of inner substance.
Perhaps a mind-shift is required here to cast a new light on the art element of civil engineering. Perhaps it all hinges on a matter of perspective. Perhaps the reference of art in the engineering field could have been interpreted otherwise all this time. In fact, I'd like to maintain that art in civil engineering is very much alive and indeed implies a clear purpose, and a very scientific one at that. The art element of civil engineering is embodied in all endeavours of civil engineering projects. More explicitly stated - it is the art of bringing all the necessary elements together to be able to achieve a desirable end product. It includes all facets of the conceptualisation and design planning, the aesthetics by the architects and the technically detailed design by the engineers, through to the construction or installation, and the eventual operation of the product. This needs to be attained amidst the complex network of relationships between the client, stakeholders, managers, engineers, contractors and, in many cases,...