I beg to differ on the abject lack of aesthetic consideration. I’ve skimmed through old construction manuals and from even the surface it seems old masters of the building craft were obsessed with the blending of aesthetics and function
I think it was because the balance between materials and labor costs was different back then. If everything was being handmade by artisans anyway, why not let them make it look nice while they’re at it? Besides, without machine precision, ornamentation is probably quicker and easier than straight lines in a lot of cases.
(See also: traditional architectural styles vs. modernism.)
I beg to differ on the abject lack of aesthetic consideration. I’ve skimmed through old construction manuals and from even the surface it seems old masters of the building craft were obsessed with the blending of aesthetics and function
I think it was because the balance between materials and labor costs was different back then. If everything was being handmade by artisans anyway, why not let them make it look nice while they’re at it? Besides, without machine precision, ornamentation is probably quicker and easier than straight lines in a lot of cases.
(See also: traditional architectural styles vs. modernism.)
Buildings yes.
I’m not so sure about infrastructure, especially things like steel girder bridges.