Dr. Alessandro Beghini lecture on "The Engineering of Art and Architecture"

About This Event

Zoom link at my.gonzaga.edu/seas (requires Gonzaga email/password - others may request access at seas@gonzaga.edu)

Technological innovation drives the creation of new Architecture and Art. Structures of the future must not only limit the use of raw materials but incorporate high performing, naturally behaving and inventive structural systems.  Whether on a project basis or within a dedicated team, SOM’s research processes are continually evolving. Engineers and architects collaborate to explore new tools and technologies that can facilitate more efficient structures, more accessible design methodologies and new structural systems.

Optimization theory, for example, has informed futuristic approaches to the design of buildings.  These approaches help inform optimal use and placement of materials and unique architectural solutions while strategically combining / mixing traditional building materials like concrete and steel, and perhaps most importantly introducing building components that provide a natural response to imposed loading demands from gravity, wind, and seismicity.  The presentation will focus on integrated engineering ideas that inspire change with projects examples within the United States and abroad.

About Dr. Beghini

Alessandro is an Associate Director and Structural Engineer with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, in San Francisco. As a Structural Engineer, Alessandro works to develop the structural design for individual projects and project groups. Coordinating with the architectural and building services teams, he incorporates structural engineering design concepts within project requirements. His responsibilities also include overseeing the preparation of the complete structural engineering documents and reviewing them for compliance with the approved program.

Within SOM, Alessandro is also responsible for conducting research in the field of optimal structural topologies and development of innovative methodologies for structural analysis. To this end, he maintains ongoing collaborations with academic institutions, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also served as an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University for his work in structural optimization. He has co-authored several technical publications on a variety of structural engineering topics ranging from topology optimization to behavior of fiber composites and fiber reinforced concrete.