Something about … architecture: structural steel

Now nobody will be surprised structural steel buildings. They are more and more fill the downtowns of the big cities. But do you know who first used the structural steel for construction of buildings? This was William Le Baron Jenney (1832-1907).When he was a child Jenney spent a time with the family at sea. And he was impressed when he saw the Philippines bamboo-framed house. And in the works William Jenney used this concept structure in iron form. After the Civil War Jenney moved to the Chicago where he opened his architecture office.

The big mark in history he did during 1884 and 1885 years, when the Home Insurance Building was built. This is was the first building which is contained structural steel. The columns were made of cast and wrought iron. Up to the 6 floor, girders and floor beams were wrought iron. It was the spandrel girders framing the upper 2 floors that introduced steel to high-rise frame construction.

At present the structural steel concept is used also for contraction the private residences. For example Frick Residence from KRDB is the modern private house witch contains the structural steel as the construction material and also as the home design element (in combination of the glass and wood).