Peter Rice: A Transversal Approach to Engineering

generally linked not only by the exceptional and extraordinary life they lead, but also by their monodisciplinary profession, entirely devoted to a specific subject. As a result, this is how their image has been engraved in the public. Brunel is remembered for his daring steel bridges that bordered on the limits of the impossible in his day. Pierluigi Nervi together with Robert Maillart is unquestionably one of the pioneers of reinforced concrete construction. Frei Otto devoted his life to tensile structures while Buckminster Fuller is now synonymous with tensegrity and geodesic structures. Likewise many other engineers have had important roles in the history of modern construction. In contrast to many of Peter Rice’s renowned predecessors it is difficult to classify his work as belonging to a specific category or assign him to one particular style or trend. His work cannot be categorized according to a material as he employed a diverse selection. Nor is Rice easily classified as key to a single era or as a catalyst between two phases because his work spans different periods. Identifying him with a particular way of thinking or architectural movement would be incorrect even if some would like to include him in the High-Tech movement. The key to Rice, an engineer who contributed so much to his era, lies not so much in his technique but rather in his life. Like so many historical figures he had a personality that was particular as he broke away from the ideas of post World War II engineering and later, those of the second half of the century. Rice described himself as “an engineer by accident” in his book, An Engineer Imagines. This comment has its roots in Rice’s cultural and professional education at Queen’s College in Belfast where he graduated with an engineering degree. Although he followed an engineering course, it was heavily orientated towards mathematics instead of construction science. As a result he came to think of himself as an applied mathematician instead of a pure engineer. Alongside his studies, he showed a strong interest in humanities, theatre and literature. This passion meant he always kept an eye out for an opening to get involved in cinema or representational theatre. At the same time Rice began his career with the consultancy Ove Arup and Partners. This office attracted him not only because of its high professional quality but also because of its relaxed working atmosphere. Throughout his life he maintained many strong interests that were unrelated to engineering but were vital to his way of looking at and understanding the world hence enhancing his professional life. The importance of these interests is highlighted by the fact that he dedicated a whole chapter to his passion for horses in his professional autobiography. Perhaps it is this wide range of interests which allowed Rice go beyond the confines of a single subject, to listen to and understand the architects with whom he collaborated and to respond and react to stimuli rather than follow the beaten path.