Feb 9, 2012
Concrete has been formed in rigid molds since its invention in Ancient Rome. Very recently however, the possibility of a new architectural and structural language has emerged based on the use of flexible fabric formworks that are shaped by an internal response to the weight and pressure of wet concrete. This way of building results in works of great simplicity, economy, and beauty. This lecture will present many examples of this approach to construction and design, and explore the methods of discovery used at the Centre for Architectural Structures and Technology (CAST), in Winnipeg, Canada.

Mark West
University of Manitoba
Mark West is the Founding Director of the Centre for Architectural Structures and Technology (C.A.S.T.) at the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Architecture (Winnipeg MB), where he is a Professor in the Faculty Architecture (with a cross appointment in the Faculty of Engineering). He is the inventor of numerous fabric-formed concrete techniques for architectural, and structural applications.

He has worked as an architectural educator for thirty years in Canada and the U.S., dedicating his research to expanding the possibilities of design and construction by combining the disciplines of architecture, engineering, sculpture, and drawing. His first education was as a builder, followed by a B.Arch. from the Cooper Union in New York, NY, (1980) and a post-professional M.Arch. from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada (1996). His work has received wide recognition through publications, awards, lectures and exhibitions in North America, Asia, and Europe.

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MIT Architecture Spring 2012 Lecture Series

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MIT TechTV