Can Technology Transform Construction? With Shajay Booshan

Can Technology Transform Construction? With Shajay Booshan

Urban density has fallen throughout the 20th century, as evidenced by the increased urban sprawl and commute times. Counter-intuitively and conversely, compact, human scale, and pedestrian friendly historic cities are more sustainable — socially and in the consumption of resources. Two, first-principle based changes in our approach to city building can reconnect with historic wisdoms and positively steer our urban future: changing how we design and build, and engaging citizens on what gets built, when and where. The former involves democratizing the rapidly emerging advances in digital design and robotic manufacturing. Achieving the latter involves learning from engaging, user and user-experience focussed technologies of video games and 3D content creation. 

Shajay Booshan, Associate Director at Zaha Hadid Architects, will showcase two pilot projects that highlight the firm's collaborative efforts to align maturing technologies with engaging and responsible design: The A+Award-winning Striatus 3D Printed Bridge and the Roatán Próspera Residences in Honduras.

During this talk, you'll learn about:

• The importance of a common language of geometry to empower a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach to meet the challenges facing the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry. 
• The unreasonable effectiveness of masonry construction with 3D concrete printed ‘stone’ to achieve sustainable and circular construction goals 
• The surprising relevance of video game technologies to attract new talent to the profession, and to democratise advances digital design and robotic manufacturing. 

About Shajay Booshan

Shajay is an aspiring polymath. He is an Associate Director at Zaha Hadid Architects where he co-founded and heads the Computation and Design research group (ZHACODE, 2007). Shajay pursues his scientific interests in digital design and robotic fabrication as a PhD candidate at the Block Research Group (BRG, 2017) at the ETH, Zurich and previously as a M.Phil. graduate from University of Bath, UK (2016). He is a graduate from and a studio-master at the post-graduate course of Design Research Laboratory at the Architectural Association, London (AADRL, 2006). There, he explores the intersection of computer graphics, video games, metaverse technology, urban development, and modern methods of construction.

About Paul Keskeys

Paul Keskeys is Editor in Chief at Architizer. An architect-trained editor, writer and content creator, Paul graduated from UCL and the University of Edinburgh, gaining an MArch in Architectural Design with distinction. Paul has spoken about the art of architecture and storytelling at many national industry events, including AIANY, NeoCon, KBIS, the Future NOW Symposium, the Young Architect Conference and NYCxDesign. As well as hundreds of editorial publications on Architizer, Paul has also had features published in Architectural Digest, PIN—UP Magazine, Archinect, Aesthetica Magazine and PUBLIC Journal.