PARADIGMS IN CONCRETE DESIGN AND AESTHETICS

This paper suggests that engineering design paradigms need to be revisited in order to add dimensions of beauty, harmony and creativity to design codes. Design of concrete structures has traditionally been perceived as a problem-solving exercise whereby the designer tries to develop an economic and functional structure that satisfies a set of design code provisions and meets a client's needs. This article advocates a paradigm shift for concrete design to become a problem-finding process in which the aesthetic, social and environmental value of a structure becomes a central part of its functional design. Concrete has substantial aesthetic potential, being a versatile design medium that lends itself to boundless creative shapes and visual treatments. The authors reflect on structure-location integration and the dialectics of form and function. Simple techniques are described for imparting aesthetic value to concrete.