Just as the skeletal frame of the human
body supports our flesh, so does the structural
frame of a building make possible
the physical expression we know as architecture.
In all living and man-made
things, there is a structure, and there is no
question of its importance in the grand
scheme of the universe.
Our buildings always start with a hole
in the ground. But they soon soar upward
with the "sticks" that give them shape
and purpose. These "sticks" are the focus
of our discussion this month.
Structurally, the most critical time in
the early life of a new building is when
the framing is being erected. At this point
there usually is no "skin"