The work of Eladio Dieste and its impact on engineering and architectural education

The work of Eladio Dieste is appreciated and understood from a variety of perspectives: for its Architecture, for the development of minimal structural forms, for innovation in materials and construction but perhaps most importantly for its intellectual and ethical position regarding the economic and cultural needs of his country, Uruguay. His work is therefore a touchstone for the relationship between structure and architecture. Very often schools of engineering and architecture in the same institution operate quite independently of each other but like many of his contemporaries and predecessors such as Heinz Isler, Eduardo Torroja, Pier Luigi Nervi and Felix Candela the span of their attention was much wider than structure alone.
Over the last 20 years the work of Eladio Dieste has been a major research interest at the University of Edinburgh. This research has considered all of the perspectives listed and subsequently informed teaching of both architects and engineers at the university in a profound and meaningful way.
This paper presents a review of the research and its evolution towards a more generalised strategy regarding structure, material, construction and architectural expression that informs teaching and research. Research includes archival studies, field-work, computational analysis, physical models and construction trials. The paper reviews this work briefly and then discusses and presents the broader impact of this work on teaching, with the development of academic programmes such as Structural Engineering with Architecture, Masters in Architecture, both professionally accredited programmes and a masters programme, Material Practice, that explores materials through construction and production processes and subsequent applications. In both programmes the underlying ethos follows Dieste albeit in significantly different ways. Similarly new strands of research have developed such as fabric formed concrete structural elements where work engages with architectural expression, structural efficiency and economic construction. Examples are presented and discussed.