Today the studios went to visit engineering consulting giant Thornton Tomasetti for a presentation by its Vice Chairman, Dennis Poon.
"You don't have to be a genius, you just have to be a hardworking and forward-thinking person, and I will be working for you soon as famous architects!"
Dennis Poon began his lecture from the very beginning of his career in regards to Thornton Tomasetti: as a waiter, serving a customer who would connect him to the firm. Humble, energetic and encouraging, Dennis gave Martin's and Loukia's studios an intriguing lecture about the basic and not-so-basic structures the of mega skyscrapers, a essential topic for our vertical housing studio.
"We are successful by using parametric modeling because we can study different shapes of structures, integrated with architectural shapes and forms and come up with the best solution."
From multi-axis elevators to super columns, massive damping systems to vortex shedding, Dennis gave us a detailed overview of important concepts that go into the planning and execution of some of the world's largest, tallest, and in other ways innovative architectural structures. We went into the most detail about the Shanghai Tower, learning about concepts such as the importance of its aerodynamic wind-tunnel studies, how its twisting facade was possible, and the tower's ability to recapture the air circulation between its curtain walls.
At the mid-point of the presentation, we were given a tour of the office by Dennis, were introduced to a few of the core members of the firm, and got to see his personal work space with its endless stacks of paper. The sheer amount of projects they undertake can seem overwhelming to an observer but to Dennis, it is just another chance to create innovative, highly detailed architectural forms.
"In America, most of the real estate you see here is quite conservative because they want to make sure that they rent out as fast as possible and charge you $1000 for one steel beam."
Do you think this "American mindset" could ever change?
Would it change the forms of buildings?
Thornton Tomasetti is an internationally renowned structural engineering firm headquartered off of Madison Square Park. They have been involved in many big-name projects: the Shanghai Tower, VIA 57, and multiple constructions at Hudson Yards to name few. With such a varying repertoire under their belt, the visit was an exciting chance to learn about the ins and outs of tower mechanics and technology.