image courtesy of Shigeru Ban Architects
Event Description
Though it is one of the world’s oldest building materials, wood is still revolutionizing the way buildings are designed and constructed today. Timber architecture necessitates an interdisciplinary approach from the outset of a project, allowing architects, engineers, and builders to collaborate in the development of structurally and materially efficient buildings. Through a series of timber case studies, this lecture presents the trajectory of Shigeru Ban Architects’ work emerging from an interdisciplinary approach.
Why wood? In terms of embodied carbon, wood far outperforms alternative structural materials such as steel and concrete. Wood is a versatile, renewable material with diverse structural and aesthetic possibilities, from post and beam structures to gridshells. With the global emergence of mass timber, architects must consider geographic proximity to their project sites, from forests to manufacturers and fabricators. Once underway, the delivery of complex mass timber structures often involves novel approaches to construction documentation, from collaborative drawing and modeling software to parametric CNC fabrication. With offsite fabrication, timber construction sites are typically cleaner and safer, and construction schedules are shorter. The end product – buildings with unencapsulated timber – creates architecture designed for occupant health and happiness, with the biophilic benefits of natural materials, abundant light, and carefully-considered building systems.
Speakers
Dean Maltz, AIA, Managing Partner, Shigeru Ban Architects
Laura Britton, AIA, Associate, Shigeru Ban Architects
Dr. Gregory Kingsley, President and CEO of KL&A Engineers and Builders
CES: Estimated 1 LU/ HSW for AIA Members
Speaker Bios
Dean Maltz, AIA is a Managing Partner of Shigeru Ban Architects, and is responsible for all SBA projects in North and South America. Most notably, Dean led the AIA National Honor Award-winning Aspen Art Museum (2014), as well as the Nomadic Museum (2005), Metal Shutter House (2011), and Cast Iron House (2021). He is currently overseeing the design of Kentucky Owl Park and a midrise condominium. Dean, a licensed architect in 5 US states, is a graduate of the Cooper Union School of Architecture and Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Laura Britton, AIA is an Associate at Shigeru Ban Architects and the author of Shigeru Ban: Timber in Architecture (Rizzoli, 2022). The book traces the evolution of 45 wood projects from concept through construction, noting the influence of regionally available materials, design technology, and building codes. She has led a variety of mass timber projects, and is currently the Project Architect of Kentucky Owl Park, a bourbon distillery campus. A graduate of Yale University and Princeton University School of Architecture, Laura is a recipient of the American Institute of Architects Henry Adams Medal.
Dr. Gregory Kingsley is the President and CEO of KL&A Engineers and Builders. His passion is for innovative wood structures, and the rapidly growing field of mass timber construction, which he considers our best hope for marrying carbon sequestration with environmental responsibility. Greg led the way to making Denver an early adopter of the Tall Wood Provisions of the 2021 IBC, and the first to adopt the 2024 IBC provisions that allow full exposure of timber in Type IV-B buildings. He was recently awarded the ACEC George Washington award for outstanding service to the community.
