AIA Shanghai Presents

October Young Architects Group: 

Architecture & Structures in the Computational Age

Recent advances in computer-aided design and manufacturing have led to greater freedom in form-making.  In the best instances, form and function unite to create an integrated, inspirational building, however sometimes these forms are willful and independent of the restrains of clear structure and function. Is it appropriate to create designs that are often extremely inefficient?  
 
Not so long ago, architecture needed to be relatively simple and clearly organized because of the inability of the engineer to calculate complex structures.   The current situation crept up on the profession in small steps and these changes unfolded without a critical conversation.  Today’s modern structural engineers find themselves in the midst of an ethical dilemma:  Are we the enablers of waste or the facilitators of dreams?  The time has come for a critical discussion.

Speaker

William F Baker 
Structural Engineering Partner | SOM

William Baker has led the SOM’s structural engineering practice for over 20 years. Since joining the firm in 1981, he has dedicated himself to extending the profession of structural engineering through design, research, teaching, and professional activities.

Baker is best known for the development of the “buttressed core” structural system for the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest manmade structure. While widely regarded for his work on supertall buildings, Bill’s expertise also extends to long-span roof structures and specialty structures such as the Broadgate Exchange House in London and the Entrance Pavilion for General Motors’ Headquarters in Detroit. Baker has also collaborated with numerous artists, including James Carpenter (Raspberry Island – Schubert Club Band Shell), Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle (Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned With), James Turrell (Roden Crater), and Jaume Plensa (World Voices).

Baker is actively involved with numerous professional organizations and institutions of higher learning. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Cambridge; he has received honorary doctorates from the University of Missouri, the University of Stuttgart, Heriot-Watt University, and the Illinois Institute of Technology; the Gold Medal from the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Outstanding Projects and Leaders Lifetime Award for Design; the Gustav Magnel Gold Medal from the University of Ghent; the Fazlur Rahman Khan Medal from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; and the Fritz Leonhardt Preis (Germany).

Registration

AIA Members - Free

Non Members - 50RMB

Time

Tuesday, October 15th, 2019; 18:15-21:00

18:15 - Registration & Canapes

19:00 - Lecture

19:50 - Discussion

20:20 - Q + A

Drinks and full catering are provided with registration