Speakers

Founder of Marc Koehler Architects

Marc Koehler

Marc Koehler, founder of Marc Koehler Architects (MKA), leads a multidisciplinary design and real estate development agency focused on innovation and purpose. His belief in design's power to shape ideal lives and foster community is evident in his projects. With a background in architecture and an advisory role in the municipality of Amsterdam; Koehler advocates for smart and responsible building practices that align with future needs, and promote a balanced relationship between people and the planet. Notably, he founded Superlofts, a design tool for modular timber structures aimed at addressing the housing crisis sustainably.

MKA's work has garnered numerous accolades, including the Dutch Building Award in 2015, World Architecture Festival Housing Award in 2017, and the World Architecture News Award for Best Housing Project in Europe in 2017. They've also won prestigious awards like Best Dutch Building of the Year in 2018. In 2022, MKA's projects were nominated for the World Architecture Festival in Lisbon, with Robin Wood winning in the Future Residential Projects category.

Researcher at TNO

Siska Valcke

Siska Valcke is a Senior Scientist Building Materials at TNO. In this role, she contributes to the development of more sustainable concrete and an innovative approach to reduce CO2-emissions produced by the building sector called 'Material-driven Multicriteria Design Optimization'. This new design approach focuses on the principle of 'resource based engineering' and provides an integral approach to increase the use of sustainable concrete and the re-use of concrete structural elements.

A material scientist by education and heart, Siska Valcke is committed to making the concrete building sector more sustainable by applying 'Material-driven Multicriteria Design Optimization' and highlighting the importance of collaboration. "Our new design approach will produce the highest additional value if the collaboration in the concrete sector will grow: companies, governments and knowledge institutions."

Professor and Founder of Eckersley O'Callaghan

James O'Callaghan

James O'Callaghan is a structural and façade engineer, and is very experienced in structural glass. He is both a professor of Architectural Glass within the Department of Architectural Engineering + Technology of the TU Delft and co-founder of engineering design practice Eckersley O'Callaghan in London. He is best known for his highly innovative designs for glass envelopes, stairs, bridges and other structural elements in Apple's retail stores around the world. His expertise lies in pushing the boundaries of materiality, performance, form, energy and the aesthetics of architectural glass.

In addition to his function as Founding Director in Eckersly O'Callaghan, he is a member of the Design Council Board of Directors, the HS2 Design Panel and of the South East Design Panel, in the UK. In 2016, he received the Milne Medal from the International Association of Bridges and Structures for Excellence in Structural Design. James O'Callaghan was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2018 and was awarded with the IStructE Gold Medal in 2019."

Structural Engineer and partner at Buro Happold

Wolf Mangelsdorf

Wolf Mangelsdorf is a Structural Engineer and Partner at Buro Happold and is based in London. He also fulfils the role of Global Head of Design, Technology & Innovation, making him responsible for ensuring the highest level of design and technology methodologies within Buro Happold on a global level. In addition to this highly executive function, Wolf took on the prestigious role of Professor of Structural Design at The University of Applied Arts Vienna in October 2021. In this academic role, he leads their Department of Structural Design at the Angewandte's Institute of Architecture. With his academic background in both Architecture and Civil Engineering, he understands the significance of collaboration between architects and engineers. He aims to spread this awareness to students and young professionals.

Wolf has led several large multidisciplinary teams on some of the world's most structurally complex buildings, including Zaha Hadid's City of Dreams development in Macau and the Battersea Power Station Master Plan in London. Other examples of the marvelous projects he has contributed to are Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China, Museum of Transport in Glasgow, Scotland and the roof of the Médiacité retail center in Liege, Belgium.

Chairperson of the Day

Assistant professor in Steel and composite structues

Marko Pavlovic

Dr. Marko Pavlovic, an assistant professor since March 2016, specializes in Steel and Composite Structures with a focus on reusable components. His research aims to advance the use of Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites in construction through experimental and numerical methods at material, joint, and structural levels. He collaborates with industry stakeholders on various projects, including fatigue-resistant joints, connection types, and durability tests for FRP structures. Actively engaged in committees related to FRP structures and bridges, Marko also contributes to education by teaching courses and supervising students in FRP and hybrid structures. He has developed an online course for engineers on FRP composites and received recognition for his teaching. With over a decade of industry collaboration, Marko is involved in enhancing the Engineering Structures Department and Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geoscience.

Panel

Efficiency vs. Creativity

Traditionally, civil engineers express the benefits of efficient design and building methods, highlighting, for example, the increasing relevance of modular design. On the other hand, architects focus on the importance of creativity in futuristic aesthetics and unique and personal designs. Both aspects can be used to answer the question ‘What contributes to the Blueprints of Tomorrow?’.

In the panel discussion, the focus will be on finding synergy between these seemingly opposing aspects. Can an efficient design also include a high level of creativity? Is a creative approach necessary to optimise efficiency? As the dialogue unfolds, participants explore how efficiency can enhance the realisation of creative concepts, and how creativity can support efficiency.

The panel consists of:

•⁠ ⁠Max Hendriks: Professor and Section Leader of Concrete Structures at TU Delft.

•⁠ ⁠Mariana Popescu: Computational Architect and Structural Designer. Teaches in Parametric Design and Digital Fabrication at TU Delft.

•⁠ ⁠Arcadis peep

•⁠ ⁠MVRDV peep

This very experienced and diverse panel will provide an interesting insight into their opinions on the role that efficiency and creativity have in shaping a future-proof built environment.