Teaching of engineering was identified as an area in need of improvement in many countries including the USA. While a typical course of structural engineering study focuses mostly on the engineering calculations, the great structures of our society come to existence not only by calculations, but also by (1) knowing and working with the related economic and political circumstances, (2) developing an appropriate and economical construction process, and (3) considering the environmental impacts of such a construction. However, modern educational systems often ignore these additional dimensions of engineering, and as a result graduate structural engineers have very narrow vision of their profession. At Princeton University, a new studio course was taught which explores these dimensions through multiple activities. This paper explores and presents an innovative approach for teaching successful engineering design and construction approaches, and discusses its impact to students and potential impacts to society in general.
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