Newtecnic enters U.S. market, opens LA office

Istanbul’s Küçük Çamlıca TV (KCTV) Tower, currently under construction, features a Newtecnic-developed façade that allows inhabitable spaces to be attached to the whole of the tower’s core. With a projected height of 1,197 feet, this tower will be Istanbul’s tallest structure.  

Los Angeles — Newtecnic, an international building engineering design firm best known for its work making futuristic buildings with curvy, complex facades possible, opened its first U.S. office in downtown Los Angeles’ historic Fine Arts Building. The California office marks Newtecnic’s fourth location and will expand the firm’s physical presence beyond the United Kingdom (London and Cambridge) and Saudi Arabia (Riyadh).

Simultaneously, Newtecnic announced partnerships with UCLA Engineering and USC Architecture to research new construction methods via digital, robotic and drone technologies; determine advanced building methods; and optimize building sequences. Three additional offices across the United States – in partnership with prestigious east and west coast universities – are scheduled to open during the first quarter of 2018.

“Global demand for dramatic, complex buildings has never been so high,” said Andrew Watts, CEO of Newtecnic. “We are making a positive contribution to the U.S. economy by introducing optimized practices and processes on a large scale and are proud to partner with some of America’s leading academic institutions, construction companies, developers, architects and contractors on various projects. Our existing relationships with UCLA and USC made opening an office in L.A. the natural evolution of our business.”

Newtecnic brings era-defining buildings to life – like Morocco’s Grand Théâtre de Rabat, Saudi Arabia’s The King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Metro hub, and Istanbul’s tallest structure the (KCTV) Tower – by making them buildable. This is done using advanced ultra-realistic 3D technology to create a digital simulation twin of the structure. Through physics and high-level mathematics, every parameter and operation of buildings is defined through the extended life cycle, from ideation and construction to maintenance (which is simulated decades into the future) and responsible recycling.

“In a building, the forces of compression, tension, shear and buckling must be understood and controlled,” said Watts. “It is by solving these interrelated energies that unexpectedly elegant solutions arise. But such audacious geometry comprising curves and sweeping planes cannot be built using traditional methods.”

Newtecnic has been instrumental in devising new technologies and practices that revolutionize the design and construction of buildings. By designing and then manufacturing components digitally, any technical, structural and aesthetic issues can be resolved in advance of physical work commencing. These practices reduce the overall cost, risk and waste associated with many building projects. And the highly technical process ensures that buildings engineered by Newtecnic have longer service lives.

Much like a puzzle, each building component is precisely crafted – often using 3D printing – for a perfect fit. “And because everything is built to order,” said Watts “There is no waste.”