Event Description
From centuries old advances in drawing technology, today’s CAD systems that facilitate ever more ambitious design, to the latest in algorithmic design and AI capabilities, technology and innovation have always been intertwined. We celebrate design and architecture that exhibit trailblazing, innovative, and pioneering qualities, especially given that demands on the built environment require increasingly sophisticated solutions, solutions that include innovative design methods, building systems, spatial ordering, long-range coordination, and interaction with the environment.
Trailblazing architecture relies on the constant exploration for innovative techniques whether through graphic representation, digital tool manipulation, material performance, sustainable building components, or novel fabrication methods. These explorations continue to influence, and advance together with, digital technology, an essential component for the design and delivery of many pioneering projects.
We will investigate a variety of projects, workflows, and design methods that exhibit trailblazing qualities at ZHA, where the pathways of technology and the spirit of innovation converge for stimulating results.
Speaker
Chris Lepine, Director, Zaha Hadid Architects
CES: Estimated 1 LU for AIA Members
Speaker Bio
Chris Lepine joined Zaha Hadid Architects in 2006 and became a director in 2019. His experience encompasses a wide range of project types, including residential, hospitality, office, cultural, and infrastructure developments. He regularly leads project teams in delivering complex, high-profile, and large-scale schemes.
Currently, Chris is leading The Delmore in Surfside, Miami—an ultra-luxury beachfront residence—and the International Gateway Centre (IGC) in Hong Kong, a large-scale, mixed-use development on a prime Kowloon site with stringent urban planning requirements. In Hong Kong, he also led the winning competition for The Henderson, a state-of-the-art office tower in the Central Business District. Other recent projects include the new headquarters for the National Bank of Kazakhstan and One Thousand Museum—ZHA’s first tower in the Western Hemisphere—an iconic, ultra-luxury residential tower in Miami.
Before joining ZHA, Chris honed his expertise in advanced digital technology for solving complex design challenges as part of Foster + Partners’ Specialist Modelling Group, a research and development division focused on digital innovation in the building industry. He has also been a guest critic and lecturer at renowned institutions, including the Architectural Association in London and Georgia Tech in the U.S.
