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Foreword

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2009

Erik K. Antonsson
Affiliation:
California Institute of Technology
Jonathan Cagan
Affiliation:
Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania
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Summary

There are too few authors who reflect on the act of designing. Generally designers, when they publish, like to show off the designs they have made. One time-honored way of instructing in design is by exemplar – the case history approach. Another approach takes so-called ‘principles’ – usually rules of thumb – which have worked in the past (in most cases). Two centuries ago, the architect Rondelet wrote: “Théorie est une science qui dirige toutes les opérations de la pratique.” (Rondelet, 1830) Two millenia ago, the Vitruvian vision was one in which architect and engineer were indistinguishable (Vitruvius, 1914). While today that is generally speaking no longer the case, it gives me special delight to introduce a book on design where the authors hail from both disciplines: authors who, often in lonely circumstances, are contributing to the development of theoretical foundations for the act of designing. Their otherwise separate and isolated efforts are brought together between these covers by two distinguished editors. It is this confluence of ideas that impresses: perhaps, a trickle now, but a potential torrent tomorrow.

There is an apt quotation by Machiavelli that heads the Preface. In the case of theoretical contributions to design, history confirms a persistent resistance to change. Girard Desargues is a good example (Desargues, 1636, 1639; Field and Gray, 1987). He reflected upon the spatial representations that engineers and architects, such as himself, employed when designing.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2001

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  • Foreword
  • Edited by Erik K. Antonsson, California Institute of Technology, Jonathan Cagan, Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania
  • Book: Formal Engineering Design Synthesis
  • Online publication: 10 October 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511529627.001
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  • Foreword
  • Edited by Erik K. Antonsson, California Institute of Technology, Jonathan Cagan, Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania
  • Book: Formal Engineering Design Synthesis
  • Online publication: 10 October 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511529627.001
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Foreword
  • Edited by Erik K. Antonsson, California Institute of Technology, Jonathan Cagan, Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania
  • Book: Formal Engineering Design Synthesis
  • Online publication: 10 October 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511529627.001
Available formats
×