Equilibrium as the common ground: Introducing embodied perception into structural design with graphic statics

Abstract

The analogy between the human body and architectural structures dates all the way back to ancient times and has significantly shaped the design of buildings and structures. The article examines the body's historical influence on how structures are perceived and designed, demonstrating how the body shapes the “technical truth” dimension of structural design while oblivious to the importance of an “artistic truth” or perceptual dimension. This article aims to connect recent neuroscience findings and their implications for structural design through graphic statics and its design methods. Finally, this article proposes an equilibrium-based structural design approach for designing embodied structures based on graphic statics.

Keywords

• Structural design
• Body
• Equilibrium
• Perception
• Graphic statics
• Neuroscience