5:30–6:30 pm
Zoom Lectures are open to the general public via Zoom. Register here.
Lecture 8: Adventures of an Interplanetary Architect
Xavier De Kestelier, Hassell
Xavier is Head of Design at international design practice Hassell, where he leads design technology and innovation across all disciplines and regions. For the last decade, Xavier has been an industry leader in the field of parametric design, digital fabrication and additive manufacturing. Prior to joining Hassell, he was Co-head of Foster+Partner’s internal research and development team where he worked on the Apple Headquarters, Kuwait and Beijing Airports, Yachtplus and the NBK Headquarters. At Hassell, Xavier is developing the practice’s global digital design strategy for computational design, building information modelling, visualisation and virtual reality. Alongside this he is developing technology for cross-studio design review processes. In recent years, Xavier has built up a portfolio of architecture in extreme environments with a particular focus on space with habitat projects for clients such NASA and ESA. Xavier is also a Director of Smartgeometry, a non-profit educational organisation for computational design and digital fabrication. This organisation has grown to become an independent worldwide network for computational and digital design specialists. Xavier has held academic positions at Syracuse University (London), University of Ghent (Belgium) and The Bartlett (London).
Professors Heinrich Jaeger and Sidney Nagel of the Physics Department at the University of Chicago are pleased to offer a public guest lecture series, about innovative approaches to resolving physical forces in architecture and design, as part of their spring 2022 course. This lecture series is supported by the College Curricular Innovation Fund and organized in cooperation with the Arts, Science & Culture Initiative at The University of Chicago.