Development and evaluation of the aesthetics of structural form

Abstract

This Paper demonstrates that the aesthetic concepts of engineering design do not just arise; but that they are derived from various models of aesthetics. It also presents various Proportioning Systems and their application in Structures, through case studies, notably the use of the Golden Proportion. The Paper then describes the investigation of the aesthetic perception of two sets of respondents and also the optimisation of a simple structure. The preference for equality and for the Golden Ratio is discovered from the experiments on aesthetic perception. The study also deals with the optimisation of simple structure. Finally, it also describes the possibility of making initial design decisions relating to dimensions, using the plots of optimisation and plots of aesthetic preferences.