Bentley announces SmartGeometry 2011 Conference

EXTON, PA. — Bentley Systems Inc. has announced that registration is now open for the SmartGeometry 2011 Conference. The conference will focus on computational and parametric design tools, technologies, and methodologies that allow and encourage new forms of architectural and structural expression.

The conference takes place April 1-2, 2011, in Copenhagen, Denmark, and carries the theme “Building the Invisible: Informing Digital Design With Real-World Data.” Among the many preeminent authorities on advanced 3D design presenting this year are Ben van Berkel, UNStudio; Usman Haque, Haque Design + Research; Billie Faircloth, KieranTimberlake; Craig Schwitter and Gijs Libourel, Buro Happold and Adaptive Building Initiative; Lisa Amini, IBM’s Smarter City Lab, Dublin; and Mette Ramsgard Thomsen, Center for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA).

The SmartGeometry 2011 Conference includes:

•“Talkshop” Day, April 1 — On this interactive first day, tutors and participants in the SmartGeometry 2011 Workshop companion event present and discuss their advanced design work of the previous four days in a series of panel sessions. The hands-on workshop is being held March 28-31, 2011, at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture, and hosted by CITA. It enables architectural and engineering professionals, academics, and students to explore and realize design through the innovative use of data and digital fabrication employing GenerativeComponents – Bentley’s generative design software.
•“Symposium” Day, April 2 — Day two includes insightful presentations by renowned experts on the theory and practice of computational and parametric design approaches. The speakers will showcase major projects around the globe that exemplify the way in which data informs design.
•Reception, April 2 — The conference ends with a social gathering celebrating the innovation, creativity, and leadership of the generative design community. It also provides an opportunity to view the work developed during the four-day workshop.

Commenting on this year’s conference agenda, Shane Burger, head of the Computational Design Unit, Grimshaw Architects, said, “As digital designers, our challenge is to harness and direct the power of computation to inform our design process. Through parametric design, architects and engineers can collect, manage, and analyze a great deal of information about the environment in order to enable an array of design options for exploration. The goal is to use this information as meaningful inputs to help make better-informed design decisions. The SmartGeometry 2011 Conference, along with the workshop event, enables professionals and academics, designers and researchers to work together and explore the best use of technology-enabled methodologies. We are excited to again have Bentley as our premier sponsor and the use of Bentley’s GenerativeComponents as the primary software for the workshop.”

For additional information about the SmartGeometry 2011 Conference and to register, please visit www.SmartGeometryConference.com/2011.