LSAA 2016 Conference Keynote Speakers

"Design Beyond Boundaries"
- The Intersection of Architects and Engineers"

The LSAA is pleased to have two keynote speakers at this year's Conference.

Nicholas Goldsmith Senior Principal FTL Design Engineering Studio, NewYork.

Ron van Sluijs – Associate Principal Populous, Brisbane

A summary of their presentations is given below.

S1A Keynote Address - Nicholas Goldsmith

Shape Making or Form Finding?

Often design professionals conflate the process of shape making with the more deliberate form finding approach. This lecture will discuss the differences in the design process between these two approaches. It will examine historical traditions of both approaches and look at Frei Otto and his physical modeling approach as an example of the Form Finding process, how it examines material intelligence to set in motion an iterative approach where the end result is discovered and not known beforehand. Examples of the work of FTL will be used as descriptive case studies to illustrate the different aspects of membrane envelopes including ETFE foil cushions, tensile membranes, and cable nets.

Public Lecture - Nicholas Goldsmith "From Mass to Membrane" - see LINK


S6A Keynote Address - Ron van Sluijs

Stadia roof typology through design methodology

The large urban scale of stadia mean the structure often simultaneously dictate the form and the architecture of the venue though for the large span stadia structures only a limited number of typologies can be identified. It's a challenge to methodically select the best fitting structure while maintaining a fresh and different aesthetic language. By illustration of various case studies this talk shall elaborate on a number of structural stadia roof typologies, both lightweight and heavy, and how these were developed architecturally and structurally.