Honesty in Structural Design

From arches and diagrids to folded plates and vierendeels, we explore how clear and honest structural forms should be inherently elegant and sit effortlessly within our environment, utilising the minimum amount of material whilst realising the architectural ambition. 

Covering a brief history of structural design and giving a nod to some of the key engineers of the past, the talk uses project examples – including the new High Speed 2 station at Birmingham Interchange and One Centenary Way at Paradise Circus to explain the constraints which drive a design and how a scheme is developed from simple sketch ideas and brought to life using the latest analysis and optimisation software, visualisation technology and construction techniques. 

Looking to the future, as urbanisation and human population growth increase the pressure on our planet’s precious resources, we look at how structural engineers are rethinking their approach to construction to deliver a safe, resilient and net zero carbon built environment.