The Architectural Gesture

Architecture and engineering; professions whose debate about which one is more important or more renowned seems to be unending. Some conceive engineering as a more inventive, objective and empiric profession than architecture, and from a positivist perspective, engineering would occupy a superior level to that of architecture. Architecture is conceived by others as a subjective form of art characterized by creativity. Definitely there are substantial differences between one profession and the other, nonetheless, the proposal of Peter Rice and Rafael Moeno is a unification of both professions for one same purpose that takes into consideration the place where the design will be developed.

Rice's first difference between the architect and the engineer is that the architect's response will be a creative one and that of the engineer an inventive one. According to Rice, despite the inventions of engineering, this discipline is not given the credit it deserves and it is because the role of the engineer and the lack of artistic sense in their constructions is unknown. Part of the ignorance of the engineer's role lies in the division between reason and feeling, by assigning creativity only to feeling, when there is clearly creative work in the engineering of the Severn Bridge connecting England and Wales. In short, both professions complement and work creatively. The fact that social reason has been conceived as a lack of creativity or feeling and this has been awarded to engineering, and on the other hand is conceived of as an artistic discipline and lack of reason, is a purely philosophical matter.

On the other hand, Rafael Moneo raises the importance of the place where the construction will be built. "The land is then presented to us as the soil in which the building takes root, as a fact that can and should be considered as the first building material." (Moneo). The architecture belongs to the place and that is why the architect must take into account the geography of the place to know what must be eliminated, added or transformed. Building takes possession of the place but in turn a reality is built that will be affected by the elements of the place.

Achieving a change of perception towards both professions would be almost impossible or would take a long time. Therefore, the debate between engineering and architecture is likely to continue. The key to understanding and unifying as far as possible both professions lies, as far as possible, not separating reason from creativity as both professions work together for a common purpose. It is necessary to keep in mind the importance of the contemplation of art in our industrialized societies, in counterpart with the economic, environmental and social needs that operate simultaneously at the time of the design process.