The design of buildings is a unique undertaking in that architectural design utilizes the art of visual design together with the science and technology of engineering to create habitable space for human beings to live, work or play. What makes this all the more challenging is that each building is unique and “one-of-a-kind” with no prototype model. As the science and technology regarding design has advanced, it has had significant impact on the visual art of building design. Without question, the advent of the computer into the professions of architecture and engineering has brought about significant changes. These changes not only impact each profession but also impact the influence upon each other. This presentation will review how the art and science of building design has evolved over the past 50 years and how each has influenced the other. Further, we will explore how these technical advancements have created an atmosphere within the design community which has fostered creative design which was previously only a dream. Built and un-built building projects will be used to illustrate the evolution of these building designs.

John Zils, S.E., P.E., FAIA, FASCE, is a Senior Structural consultant at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Mr. Zils received a B.A. degree in architecture and an M.S. degree in structural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). He is a Fellow of ASCE and a Fellow of AIA and is a past president of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI), past president of the Structural Engineers Foundation (SEF), and past chairman of the Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings.