John Ochsendorf

John Ochsendorf spoke at PINC | Sarasota in 2015. And incredible lesson in history, architecture and engineering.
PINC stands for People, Ideas, Nature, Creativity. These themes are the heartbeat of this unique conference held once a year in the Netherlands since 1999. An inspiring cascade of new ideas, great stories, and impressive visual presentations delivered by a superb selection of national and international speakers from every imaginable discipline. PINC is a truly extraordinary event. An opportunity to recharge your personal and business batteries.
PINC usually features around 16 international speakers, who have little in common except that they have a passion for what they do and absolute faith in the power of innovation, inspiration and creativity. The presentations are larded with exceptional, visual, theatrical and artistic intermezzo’s.
Check out her video and more on PINC Conferences UA-cam channel.
Also check out our websites for our next event in Zeist, The Netherlands on May 10 2016 and in Sarasota, Florida on December 8, 2016 and
www.pinc.nl
pincsarasota.com
John Ochsendorf is a structural engineer specializing in historical architecture and creative engineering design at MIT. He has researched the history and technology of great works of construction, including classical Roman vaults, Gothic cathedrals, Mayan arches, Inca suspension bridges and the earthquake-worthiness of Gothic cathedrals. Ochsendorf collaborates with art historians, architects, and engineers on the study and structural assessment of many historic monuments around the world.
His book "Guastavino Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile" (Princeton Architectural Press, 2010) celebrates the work of the Guastavino family, who built structural tile vaulting in hundreds of major buildings after immigrating to the United States in the late 19th century.
Ochsendorf’s work spans the humanities and engineering, and his research has been supported by both the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation. He is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome (2007) and a Senior Fellow of the Design Futures Council (2011). In awarding him a MacArthur Fellowship in 2008, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation called Ochsendorf “a pioneer in exploring alternative engineering traditions.”

[@liegesaboya33]

Marvelous video , just fantastic !

[@constancereed2796]

Very interesting in the importance of ideas of history and the formation of data studies for today structures to stand in stability and safety, against the elements and forces . Fascinating and inspiring to be able to solve problems and challenges of our infrastructures with technology in all the technical disciplines of the field of engineering.

[@AntPDC]

At 13:51 it is asserted that the vaulting technique shown originated in North Africa in the C13, and proved to be "an incredible new technology ... it was like a microchip ... was adopted in the West in the C14". I'm puzzled by this because such vaults had been constructed in Europe since C12, eg the high pointed-arch vault of the nave of the (Romanesque) Durham Cathedral, England, completed by 1135. There are many other examples of such vaulting from this era throughout Europe, dating from far earlier than C13/14.

[@sonjak8265]

Precursors to flying buttresses can be found in Durham Cathedral, though are not easily visible.

[@gill444100]

I think he’s specifically referring to guastavino style tile vaulting as coming from North Africa. The Moors has amazing building technology. I could be wrong

[@rowanshole]

I believe he is talking about vaults that didn't need supporting by scaffolding/ falsework during their construction.

[@fern8580]

13:54 if you go see the ruins of pompi(Pompéi (Pompeii) near Naples, Napoli) , you will see a stairway built according to this principle. The origin of the constructive principle is not North Africa.on the other hand, the presence of Romans, and Spanish in North Africa to bring numerous architectural works locally for 2000 years (Volubilis,Eduardo TORROJA (1899-1961))

[@mssuresh3255]

Marvelous.
I subscribed your channel.
Could it be used as a load bearing slab ??

[@mikef.1000]

A most amazing and enjoyable presentation -- thanks!
About the relationship between the sciences and the humanities; I think we need to be careful here. For decades now we have had the humanities dictating to the sciences, and one of the bad results of this is in the area of gender, where biology has been cancelled by ideology. Yes, let each department be cognizant of the others; but let's not have dictatorships, because they usually end in pain!