Unstruct – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode, we talk with Roger Krulak, Founder and Principal at FullStack Modular and David Farnsworth, PE, Principal at Arup.  We talk about the best project delivery system and about options available for modular construction.  

Roger and David have worked on numerous modular construction projects, creating structures that exceed 20 stories tall, truly building onsite Lego-like structures.  

We dig into scope of work delineation, floorplan flexibility and how modular constructed high rise structures are able to resist site loading such as high seismic forces. 

By being involved from project inception, both parties- the manufacturer and structural engineer – are able to convey their respective requirements and continuously elevate the limits of modular construction in a truly impressive way.

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In this episode, Julian Lineham, PE, Founding Principal at Studio NYL, talks about the Bonnett Springs Park project.  This site was previously inaccessible due to an abandoned rail line.  So by removing the abandoned line, many acres of land were suddenly opened up and accessible.  This project includes the design and construction of several buildings throughout the site but our talk focuses on four main buildings: the Event Center, Welcome Center, Children’s Museum and Nature Center.   Materials included mass timber and CLT (cross laminated timber) and concrete and steel.  

Listen in to hear how soil challenges were addressed and to also hear how sustainability aspects were worked into the design of these structures.

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Ascent Tower in Milwaukee, WI was completed in 2022 and is currently the tallest mass timber structure in the world.  It is 25 stories (284ft) tall and comprised of cross laminated timber floor systems and glulam columns and beams throughout with cast in place concrete at the lower levels.  In many areas, the timber structural elements are exposed, creating the architecture of the space as well.

Alejandro Fernandez is a Senior Associate with Thornton Tomasetti in Chicago, IL and is a structural engineer and architect and one of the lead structural engineers for Ascent Tower.  Alejandro grew up in Madrid, Spain.

By reaching new heights, Ascent Tower required complete coordination between the design team, jurisdiction and contractor.  New Code parameters were created from this process including rewriting for maximum wood construction heights and new three-hour fire rated assemblies for timber columns.  Ascent Tower recently received an award from Woodworks for Wood Design Innovation. 

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging at a fast pace and beginning to integrate into many facets of our day to day lives.  Architecture and engineering are no exception. 

Kat Stevens is a Masters in Architecture student at the University of Westminster in London, England and is immersed in the beginning stages of AI integration into Architecture.  She was first introduced to this design tool while working as a Junior BIM Architect at Zaha Hadid Architects.  By using AI to generate schematic level, conceptual building sketches, ideas are able to be transferred from a client’s imagination to sketches in just a few seconds by entering key descriptors into the AI platform.  Midjourney is currently a prevalent graphical AI platform that is being used by architects to generate these initial sketches. 

With over 32,000 LinkedIn followers, it is clear to see that Kat’s work and the emerging field of AI in Architecture are generating great interest.  Our hope is that this starts the AI conversation for listeners.  Her points are thought-provoking, novel and interesting.  Don’t be surprised if this episode requires a replay.

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Exterior public art sculptures are creative, unique and typically organic in nature, making their structural design both complex and intriguing.  While quite different from building design, sculpture structural design has its own set of challenges and unique solutions.  

Bryan Starr, PE, SE with Tarantino Engineering Consultants is an expert in the niche field of sculptural structural design.  Tarantino Engineering Consultants based in Maryland, but Bryan works remotely from Boise, Idaho.  Most people that meet Bryan are not surprised that he is an engineer.  Born with an obsessive attention to detail, he loves solving problems to help others succeed.  He has more than twenty years of experience designing projects of all shapes, sizes, and materials in all parts of the country.

Bryan thrives most when collaborating with architects, contractors, designers, and artists.  His multidisciplinary approach to the work of engineering has earned Bryan a unique portfolio of work: public art sculptures and foundation systems.  It’s easy to see Bryan’s passion for collaborative and creative design come through in this talk.  He is frequently coordinating with the artist, fabricator and erector.

In this episode we talk about the specific piece, Unum, by Blessing Hancock which is located in Santa Rosa, California.  The specialty fabricator was Gizmo, based in San Francisco, California.

BLESSING HANCOCK - Home

Blessing Hancock - Gizmo Art Production (gizmosf.com)

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Luke Nichols is a sophomore Civil Engineering student at South Dakota State University.  In the fall of 2021, Luke and I were paired as part of a mentorship program at South Dakota State University, my alma mater.  

In this episode, we take a break from a specific building and focus on the importance of mentorships.  Luke currently leads the mentorship program at SDSU and through our mentorship relationship over the last two years, we have both found conversations about what students are looking for and what employers are looking for mutually beneficial.  And we think other people can find these conversations very useful.

Luke is also a collegiate level swimmer and loves to go hiking and exploring in Colorado.  I have a feeling he has big things in his future!

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What does it mean to be a good neighbor?  Dense neighborhoods sometime require special precautions for new structures.  In many urban areas, with land being a scarce commodity, there can sometimes be less than four feet between structures, with some foundations installed right up to the property line.  This close proximity many times means that structures are influencing one another and neighboring structures need to be considered when designing or altering existing foundations.  

Natalie Regan, PE, SE is the Founder and Owner of NLP Concepts, LLC located in Chicago, IL.  NLP is Chicago’s leading residential shoring design structural engineer.  In this episode, we discuss the measures necessary to ensure structural stability and safety during construction of new homes in densely populated areas.   The design and implementation of these systems can get complex but they are vital for stability of the structure(s) during the construction phase.  Consider this another below grade deep dive!

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Reciprocal framing creates a grid-like patterned structure, relying on a system for load transfer instead of single element-to-element load transfer.  While visually pleasing, the analysis of this type of system can be somewhat complex.  However, with the advancement of parametric design tools coupled with the sustainability benefits of this type of system, it becomes easier to design and is a good fit for material reuse.  

Dr. Olga Popovic Larsen, MSc, Architect MAA is a structural engineer, architect and Professor of Structures in Architecture at The Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark and expert and published author in Reciprocal Frame Architecture.  

Jens Hübertz Larsen, MSc, MIStructE is a Senior Project Manager at COWI Consulting Engineers in Copenhagen, Denmark and is well versed in the structural design and construction implementation of Reciprocal Frame Structures.

In this episode, we discuss the Waste Wood Canopy.  Through research and full-scale testing, the design team was able to use reclaimed wood pieces and develop customized and repetitive connections that ultimately proved instrumental to the success of this project.

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What if buildings could act like trees? The building sector generates nearly 40 percent of all global carbon emissions. An Urban Sequoia designed building could reduce upfront embodied carbon by 70 percent and over the building’s 100-year lifespan, could absorb more than 300 percent of the amount of carbon emitted during its construction and operation.  

In this episode, I talk with Mark Sarkisian, PE, SE a Partner with SOM in San Francisco, CA.  Mark holds 14 US and international patents for high-performance seismic structural mechanisms.  In 2021, he was elected as a member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering, distinguished for his “innovation in efficient and aesthetic design of tall buildings and structures.”  He also has received the prestigious Fazlur Rahman Khan Life-Cycle Civil Engineering Medal.  Mr. Sarkisian authored Designing Tall Buildings: Structure as Architecture, an essential reference guide on the fundamental principles of designing high-rise structures.  

Mark is a leader in the Urban Sequoia systems approach and is charting new territory in net negative carbon building design.  We specifically talk about the Benchmark Tower, a 42 story building recently constructed in San Francisco, CA that utilizes the evolving Urban Sequoia design philosophy.  

By utilizing specific design elements including carbon neutral cement, bio bricks, biophilics, solar glass and many others, carbon output can be drastically reduced and sometimes even reversed with elements sequestering carbon, making a carbon negative design.  Space planning and layout are also vital in energy conservation.  We also talk about how shortening the construction schedule and designing buildings with longer life spans are also sustainably smart design principles.  

This is fascinating stuff and the way of the future.  This episode ties in perfectly with the Future World Vision episode with Kelly Price.  One is hypothetical and the other takes these hypothetical concepts and puts them into practice.

Learn more about Urban Sequoia:

https://www.som.com/research/urban-sequoia/

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You are the energy you bring to the room.  To keep good clients, they have to want to actually work with you.  Technical competency is a minimum benchmark; a great working relationship centered on trust and great communication are what clients are ultimately looking for.  While energy can be perceived instantly, it takes many intentional steps to be cultivated.  In this solo episode we touch on how you can tangibly cultivate the energy you bring by knowing when to say no or yes, creating margins, establishing internal deadlines and being clear with boundaries.  We also get into dreaming and risk taking and how this can really bring great energy to many other aspects of your life.  

If you know of a fascinating structural engineering project that you would like to learn more about or if you are a structural engineer with a building that you would like to dissect, email kari@vector-collab.com to see if it’s a good fit for the show.

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