Papers by angi patton
The artful entrepreneur: How art and engineering inspire passion and risktaking
Proceedings of the 2002 AEE/SEFI/TUB Colloquim, …, 2002
In 1996 the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Art at the University of Houston began an i... more In 1996 the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Art at the University of Houston began an interdisciplinary teaching initiative designed to foster integrated thinking skills through visual processing. In its original form, the engineering course included an introduction to design awareness through a design, build, and compete project. While this multi-faceted project remains part of the collaboration, the interaction with art has brought about notable changes in how the project is administered. Here, we focus on this design project in an effort to illustrate that combining mechanical and aesthetic considerations enhance the performance outcome of student solutions. Included in our discussion is the design process from the perspective of art (i.e., how one moves from nothing to something, from unknown to known). Rather than promote visual protocol we focus on the mechanics of dynamic thinking in the context of design to identify essential features of effective problem solving.
Engineering reflects invention, which requires an ability to see beyond given circumstances. At t... more Engineering reflects invention, which requires an ability to see beyond given circumstances. At the same time, engineering exists within a framework of physical and economical laws that temper and regulate human ingenuity. Visionary ideas and practical solutions must work in tandem to serve and advance the human enterprise. And while engineering must balance conditions that require different sets of skills, engineering education is almost exclusively aligned with methods of science-based disciplines (e.g., math, physics, chemistry) that promote systemic analysis and precedence as barometers of truth. In an effort to enhance problem solving skills, the Departments of Art and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston have developed an interdisciplinary teaching initiative designed to introduce visual processing into engineering curricula. Working within a context of design, the primary objective has been to develop a more comprehensive approach to thinking by synthesizing rational and intuitive processing. In this conceptual essay, we discuss the theoretical basis of this initiative giving insight into creative problem solving.
The advent of digital technology is commonly attributed to technological advancements in science ... more The advent of digital technology is commonly attributed to technological advancements in science and engineering. While efforts of scientists and engineers play a central role in development of new technologies, visionary ideas are rarely formulated in isolation of social context. This essay examines the role of aesthetics in the emergence of digital technology, proposing that the revolutionary vision of modern architecture gave rise to concepts and conditions that enabled rational minds to fathom and construct the imaginary world of digital technology. By cultivating an aesthetic of transparency, modernists inverted the relationship between the material and immaterial realm, opening a new frontier to prospectors and settlers.
Conference Presentations by angi patton
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Papers by angi patton
Conference Presentations by angi patton