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Pictures of the event by Marcel Bilow

RESOURCE  REUSE  RESILIENCE

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As the effects of climate change become ever more visible, sustainable structural design comes to increasing importance. This leads to multiple initiatives in practice and academia. At the current rate, the changes in sustainable structural design practice outpace the publication of research outcomes. In recognition of this, the Sustainable Structural Design Forum provides a platform to share and discuss new developments in both practice and academia. By inviting leading scientists and professionals from a wide range of fields, the forum aims for a holistic perspective on the current sustainability discourse. This includes theory and challenges, yet mainly focus on solutions and recent innovations. The forum has three main themes: resource, reuse, resilience.

 

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RESOURCE

Conscious use of resources towards low-emission structures​

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A sustainable built environment relies on conscious use of resources. Using and wasting less resources, avoiding critical materials and using biobased or upcycled materials are strategies to limit resource extraction and develop low-emission structures. Knowledge about material properties and their potential in structural and architectural applications is essential for their large-scale implementation.

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REUSE

Closing the loop through effective reuse of reclaimed components​

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The built environment contains many valuable materials and components that get wasted every day. Closing the loop by reusing, repurposing, remanufacturing, refurbishing or repairing existing components or structures cuts down both on resource extraction and waste production. This requires evaluation of properties and performance as well as design strategies for the effective re-implementation of reclaimed components in new structures. The application of circular design principles like design for disassembly can ease future reuse.

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RESILIENCE

Futureproofing the built environment with resilient structures​

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The climate crisis, population growth and other dynamic trends bring about many uncertainties for the built environment and its building structures. A futureproof structure incorporates future changes and shocks in its design to contribute to the resilience of the building and society. Future scenarios and predictive modelling help integrate and evaluate different types of resilience in buildings and structures.

About the forum​

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The Sustainable Structural Design Forum is an initiative of the ReStruct Research Group at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment of Delft University of Technology. It follows the successful installment of the Sustainable Structural Design Webinars. This will be the first edition of the forum, which is expected to be a yearly event.

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Practical​

The SSD forum takes place on 16 November 2023 at the Berlage Rooms (in purple on the map below) of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment in Delft, The Netherlands (Julianalaan 134, 2628BL Delft). It is a full day event that will be followed by a dinner (optional). The location is walking distance from the city centre of Delft and the Delft train station, which is directly connected to cities like Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport.

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The organisers​

The SSD forum is organised by Dr. Stijn Brancart, Prof. Mauro Overend and Prof. James O'Callaghan from the ReStruct Research Group at TU Delft.

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Dr. Stijn Brancart is Assistant Professor of Circular Structural Design. He is an architectural engineer with a deep affinity for the relation between structural form and performance. His research focuses on the reuse of structural components, timber and biobased structures.

Prof. Mauro Overend is Professor of Structural Design and Mechanics. His research and teaching interests are at the interface of structural engineering, materials engineering and architecture which underpin the performance of high performance building envelopes and sustainable structures.

Prof. James O'Callaghan is Professor of Architectural Glass. He is a structural and façade engineer with over 20 years of experience. He is co-director and co-founder of Eckersley O’Callaghan. Both in research and practice, James pushes the boundaries of materiality, performance, form, energy, and the aesthetics of architectural glass.

Scientific committee

Stijn Brancart, TU Delft

Mauro Overend, TU Delft

James O'Callaghan, TU Delft

Lars De Laet, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Catherine De Wolf, ETH Zurich

Elias Knecht, ETH Zurich

Günther Filz, University of Innsbruck

Roberto Gentile, University College London

Daniele Perrone, University of Salento

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Sponsors​

The SSD Forum is supported by ABT, Eckersley O'Callaghan and WSP.

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Contact​

For additional information or questions, please send an e-mail to SustainableStructuralDesign@tudelft.nl.

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Call for abstracts (abstract submission is now closed)​

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We encourage researchers, practitioners and (former) students to submit an abstract for a talk at the forum. The forum accepts talks about various topics in the field of sustainable structural design, preferably related to (at least) one of the central themes: resource, reuse, resilience. 

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There will be two types of presentations:

  • Standard talk: a 15-minute presentation about innovative work from practice or academia. The presentation should be accessible to a broad audience of engineers, architects, researchers and students

  • Lightning talk: a 7-minute presentation about a promising concept or technology. The presentation should be to the point and accessible and should highlight the potential of the presented concept. This type of talk is well-suited for early-career researchers or (former) students who want to present their master thesis

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Please indicate your preference for a type of talk in the abstract. The organizing committee can propose a different format based on the interest and programming. Speakers do not have to submit a paper to present at the forum. In collaboration with the Journal of Architecture, Structures and Construction, the forum organizers will publish a Special Issue. A selection of presenters will be invited to submit a paper (optional). After submission they will follow the regular peer review process of the journal.

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Timeline​

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  • Friday 15 September: EXTENDED abstract submission deadline

  • Monday 2 October: notification of acceptance

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Guidelines

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Use the template to complete your abstract. Follow these guidelines:

  • The abstract should contain no more than 300 words and have a concise but clear title.

  • Add a maximum of five keywords and a short biography about yourself (the speaker) of no more than 100 words.

  • Submit the abstract (DOCX or PDF format) together with one high quality image (JPG or PNG format) by sending an e-mail to SustainableStructuralDesign@tudelft.nl.

  • On the abstract template, you can indicate your preference for a regular or lightning talk and a relation to one or more of the central themes.

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Special Issue: Journal of Architecture, Structures and Construction

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The Sustainable Structural Design Forum collaborates with the Journal of Architecture, Structures and Construction for a special issue with papers from selected presenters. Based on submitted abstracts, the forum organizers, who serve as guest editors, will invite presenters to submit a paper for the issue. This is optional. Authors will have to follow the standard reviewing process of the journal. The Journal of Architecture, Structures and Construction provides a platform for nurturing the synergy between the disciplines of architecture, building and structural engineering. It welcomes research papers, review papers and case studies. Find more information on the journal website. 

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