History of industrial architecture: means for transforming engineering students' attitude towards the environment

The problem of changing attitudes to meet development in technology is not a new one. The new subject, History of industrial architecture for engineers, being created jointly by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and the Faculty of Architecture of the Technical University of Silesia in Poland is based on the belief that technical constructions, so omnipresent in the contemporary world, should not only fulfil their utilitarian functions but also create a new quality environment in an aesthetic sense as well. It is because of the omnipresence of technical constructions of different types that their impact is considerably more powerful than that of pure art. For this reason it seems to be important to point out to engineering students the aesthetic aspects of their future work. The fundamental aim of the new subject is to develop skill in perceiving technical constructions and mechanisms created by means of engineering processes in aesthetic categories as well as develop a certain respect and sense of responsibility for transforming the environment.