Lifting the Veil on Exposed Structure
By Paul Fast, P. Eng., Struc. Eng., FIStructE
Managing Partner of the structural engineering firm, Fast + Epp
Monday, October 15, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
HR MacMillan Space Centre
1100 Chestnut Street in Vancouver
Modern timber engineering has come a long way from the quaint log cabin of old, giving rise to a whole new realm of opportunity for adventurous architects and engineers. The mounting desire for sustainable, economical, and “honest” design has encouraged the move towards exposed structures – buildings that showcase engineering ingenuity and intricate integration of mechanical, electrical, and acoustical systems. But despite its ability to reduce structural volume, material costs, and serve triple or quadruple functions, exposed structures can be a risky endeavour.
Structural engineer Paul Fast explains the daring design challenges of “baring it all.” As Managing Partner of Fast + Epp – a firm that has become somewhat synonymous with internationally‐recognized exposed timber structures – Paul will engage listeners in a frank discussion of the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to exposed structure.
Paul has led the structural design of many buildings locally and internationally, including the Richmond Olympic Oval Roof, Kingsway Pedestrian Bridge, VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitors Centre, and Shanghai Wood Presentation Centre. He and partner Gerald Epp have collaborated with a number of the industry’s leading architects including Peter Busby, Bing Thom, John Patkau, Donald Schmitt, and Stephen Teeple.
Paul enjoys working closely with architects, exploring innovative design solutions for economical material combinations. Often pushing the design envelope to create hybrids of timber, concrete, and steel, Paul has been recognized for his unconventional use of timber and has emerged a leader in architecturally‐exposed timber structures. He is a registered engineer in Canadian, American, and German jurisdictions and was recently named an honorary member of the Architectural Institute of British Columbia and Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers in the United Kingdom.
This lecture is jointly organized with the UBC SALA Lecture Series.