Architect and Engineer - A Study in Sibling Rivalry (Relié)

The struggle and romance of human relations in great building projects invites exploration. How architects and engineers work together has often been debated but never before addressed over a broad span of history. This handsomely illustrated book enquires into the pattern of these relationships in western countries over the centuries since the Renaissance. Concentrating largely on Britain, France and the United States, Architect and Engineer: A Study in Sibling Rivalry looks at what has actually taken place when the two professions have interlocked.
In that light, it re-examines projects ranging from the building of great masonry bridges to the Eiffel Tower and the Pompidou Centre ; developments such as the evolution of the Chicago skyscraper ; and personalities from Vauban and Perronet to Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and Ove Arup. Among the issues raised are credit for design; professional demarcation; the status of art in construction ; and how that connects or clashes with advances in technique and efficiency.
The results of this wide-ranging investigation may surprise and provoke the reader. It is a study that has radical implications for the compartmentalised ways in which the history of architecture and construction has normally been addressed.