SOM welcomes Peter Brannan to its Hong Kong team as Asia Regional Leader. With more than 35 years of experience and an extensive portfolio of architectural projects in Asia and the Middle East, Brannan will play a key role in growing SOM’s business in Asia, continuing its commitments to sustainability, design excellence, and client relations.
On September 23rd, 2020 SOM Director Luke Leung will speak as a panelist in "New Approaches to Air And Water." Part of the Metropolis Perspective: Sustainability Symposium, the panel discussion centers on the conservation and responsible use of resources in building design.
Created in 2020, the Robert L. Wesley Award supports BIPOC undergraduate students enrolled in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, or structural engineering programs across the U.S. The $10,000 award, given to three students, is an unrestricted scholarship that aims to support academic development. The award honors Robert L. Wesley, the first black partner at SOM.
In September, SOM Design Partner Scott Duncan, Director and Interior Design Practice Leader Lois Wellwood, and Associate Amy Garlock will join Cindy Allen, Editor-in-Chief of Interior Design magazine, for DesignBiz on Instagram Live. The designers and Allen will discuss workplace, travel, materiality, post-COVID design, and more.
In an episode of Create the Future: An Engineering Podcast, Consulting Partner Bill Baker talks with host Sue Nelson. The two discuss the Burj Khalifa, the relationships between architecture and structure, the future of engineering, and advice for young engineers entering the field.
On Thursday, September 24th, SOM's Zarmine Nigohos and Roshanak Mostaghim will present at the Future of Mass Timber virtual symposium. Hosted by The Architect's Newspaper, the symposium will spotlight emerging timber technologies and exemplary timber projects across North America, including the Billie Jean King Main Library in Long Beach, California.
As an advocate for the decarbonization of the built environment, SOM will take part in two event series throughout September 2020 to promote net-zero buildings: World Green Building Week 2020 and CarbonPositive RESET! Teach-In.
South China Morning Post reports on how the pandemic has reoriented priorities for residential design, particularly in the luxury market. SOM Associate Director Frank Mahan discusses SOM's adaptive reuse of the Waldorf Astoria in New York as an example, sharing insight on how the building's history as a hotel has also informed the type of amenities it offers to residents.
The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) in London has named "Manhattan Loft Gardens, London: Balancing Design and Constructability" as the 2020 Murray Buxton Award recipient. In the technical article, SOM Director Dmitri Jajich and Associate Director Stuart Marsh discuss the innovative structural systems and strategies utilized at Manhattan Loft Gardens (now known as The Stratford).
For the first profile in our Spotlight series, Morgynn Wiley takes a break from her design job to tell us about working in her hometown, the opportunities she has found as an entry-level designer at SOM, and why one portfolio does not fit all.
On September 18th, 2020, SOM Directors Chuck Besjak and Preetam Biswas and Associate Director Ronald Johnson will speak at the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2020 V-Tech Conference. The program features technical presentations from the 2020 Architectural Engineering Institute's Professional Project Awards winners.
Architectural Digest interviews SOM Associate Director Frank Mahan on the restoration and adaptive reuse of the Waldorf Astoria. Mahan discusses the complexity and investigative work required to restore the landmark to its original appearance, as well as the significant sustainability benefits of utilizing adaptive reuse.
Madame Architect checks in with Julia Skeete, Associate Director at SOM London, for a sense of her typical day. Skeete, whose portfolio spans Ireland, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, is currently working on the United Nations campus in Geneva.
In September, Yue Zhu, Thomas Kinzl, Martin Liepmann, and Phil Obayda will speak at Virtual Festival of Facades. The event, an ongoing series of panel discussions and workshops on facade engineering and design, is presented by Zak World of Facades.
In September and November 2020, SOM Associate Mina Hasman will present at 2030 Climate Challenge: The Ultimate Toolkit for Architects, a multi-day series hosted by the RIBA and The Green Register. Hasman, an architect and sustainability expert, is a member of the RIBA Expert Advisory Group for Sustainable Futures.
