The Influence of Mathematics on the Development of Structural Form

While the criteria that form the basis for the design process are well-known, each era assigned different meanings to them. Modern man understands the term “function” as purely meeting the primary task, but for past eras a structure not only had to be of material usefulness but also psychologically beneficial and intellectually fruitful. In Pre-Industrial Revolution religious structures geometry was an important tool, as was the choice of forms and proportions that relate the structural elements to each other. However, the choice of the geometry and the measurements was limited by the technically feasible and the loadbearing behaviour of the structural elements and the materials, which in turn are closely connected to the manufacturing procedure. The manufacturing procedure also dictated the form of the structural elements and consequently the geometry and the overall appearance of the structure. Mathematics combined with technology and mechanics is a part of every design criterion. Each era applied this very differently to the structures, based on cultural understanding.