Post and beam construction, in contrast, is stacked, fist over fist, with neither tensile strength nor unity. Wright, the master designer, thus gave priority to engineering. Wright claimed that if the ancient Greeks had steel and glass, they would have made modern architecture back then, engineering birthing aesthetics. He expressed loathing for those who clung to an architectural style when there was no functional or structural reason to do so. The engineering of the present is ripe with possibilities for innovative design.
Membrane structures redefine the meaning of inside and outside.
Tensegrity systems of cables and rods elegantly balance the tension and compression in materials that hold up buildings. The rationality and efficiency of deployable structures, made at one location or at ground level on site and then erected in one operation, add a new dimension to the aesthetic appreciation of architecture. Shells, hybrids, computer-driven morphology studies, and exotic new material also enrich architects' choices.