EDITORIAL: Fostering Creativity in the Conceptual Design of Structures

Abstract

This issue of Structural Concrete is partially dedicated to the conceptual design of structures and gathers extended versions of some papers presented at the International fib Symposium on Conceptual Design of Structures held in Madrid, Spain, from 26th to 28th September 2019 and some additional related papers as well. The symposium, jointly organized by the fib and the Spanish Association of Structural Engineering (ACHE), represented a great opportunity for young engineers and architects to meet more experienced designers and to discuss and share thoughts about the conceptual stage of the design process. The main mission of the Symposium was to promote, communicate and teach the value of creativity in structural engineering. This is quite challenging: rather than being the result of a sudden moment of inspiration, creativity appears to be the fruit of a serious, systematic and ambitious work in the search for the most adequate solution to a given question. Although conceptual design plays a leading role in defining the end-performance of structures, it is actually rarely taught in civil engineering schools. Commonly to other creative fields (e.g. architecture, literature, culinary arts, painting, etc), successful processes are context-dependent, experience-based and principle-driven. New training modes, deeper understanding of history, and the advent of new tools and technologies sets forth new possibilities for creative endeavours. Conceptual design also plays a leading role in defining the performance of structures. Facing new global challenges and embracing new technological opportunities, structural designers are encouraged to develop more creativity in their projects. Each project, even the simplest one, is always an opportunity to create! The contributions included in this Special Issues offer a very interesting exchange of expertise on creative processes in structural engineering; they cover a wide spectrum of topics ranging from the development of new materials (e.g. textile RC, UHRC) to the application of tools and methods (e.g. graphic statics) for the conceptual design of structures. The heterogeneity of subjects demonstrates the wide spectrum of topics that can be considered as relevant for the conceptual design stage. We hope you enjoy reading this issue and wish you new insights and inspirations for a more creative approach to the Conceptual Design of Structures!Hugo Corres Peiretti,Universidad Politécnica de MadridFHECOR Ingenieros ConsultoresLeonardo TordiscoUniversidad Politécnica de MadridCorentin FivetStructural Xploration Lab, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne