Experiencing Structures
Thoughtfully built structures embody the aspirations and skills of designers, and express connections between design decisions, construction methods, and structural performance over time. Study of these exemplary designs expands our vocabulary of essential and enduring technical advances. Moreover, partnerships between industry and academia facilitate technology transfer through applied research and design education.
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Students studying at the intersection of engineering, computation, and architecture interact with leading designers, who present guest lectures, share their insights from realized designs, welcome our group to their offices and construction sites, and discuss students' interests and research projects.
Design Seminars
Structural Mechanics and Design Engineering Seminars that our group hosted during the academic year 2019-2020 illustrate some of the topics on the design of structures explored within the CEE Department and broader MIT community.
Visitor
Seminar Topic
Date
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (Boston)
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
from a Young Employee’s Perspective
10/4
ARUP (NYC)
Current and Emerging Topics in
the Built Environment:
Risk assessment and resilience-based design
Microclimate and thermal comfort
Materials science in the built environment
Seismic design
Offshore structures
10/11
HOK (NYC)
Fast and Forward: How Parametric Design and Life-Cycle Analysis
Are Changing Structural Design Practice
10/18
TriPyramid Structures
Structural Alternatives for Glass Walls
Glass as a Structural Material
10/25
4/17
Thornton Tomasetti
(Chicago, NYC, Boston)
Thornton Tomasetti: Firm Overview
11/08
11/22
GNA
Guy Nordenson and Associates:
Current Work
11/15
New Story
New Story - R&D Branch
of Affordable Housing
11/22
Schlaich Bergermann Partner (NYC)
Light Structures, Structures and Light
12/6
ARUP (NYC)
The Kensico-Eastview Connection Tunnel
2/14
Gilsanz Murray Steficek (NYC)
Constraint Oriented Designs
2/28
Hofstra University
Unconventional Materials
and Experimental Structures
3/13*
WSP (NYC)
Foundations for Tall Buildings
Computational Design for Complex
and High-Rise Structures
3/20*
4/17
BuroHappold (NYC)
Constructing Complexity
Jewel Changi Airport Roof Structure
4/8
ARUP (SF)
The Resilience-Based Design of 181 Fremont
4/10
* postponed
