Source: Lafarge North America, Reston, Va.
Lafarge Director of Research & Development Pascal Casanova is scheduled to join Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation officials in New York City for a February 10 launch of Solid States: Changing Time for Concrete. The book assembles a diverse group of experts to examine the re-emergence of concrete at the intersection of materials science, engineering and architectural practice, and urban history and design. It coincides with what authors contend are technological developments and growing demand for natural resources that further highlight concrete’s pivotal role in transforming architecture and urbanism across the world.
In an era of challenges from rapid urbanization to critical environmentalism, and with the aid of unprecedented forms of technical analysis and coordination, Solid States contributors ponder: Which forces will ultimately determine the future of concrete? Innovative technologies, emerging markets, globalized production, as well as new understandings of material behavior and environmental impact are transforming conception of concrete, the contributors contend. Accompanying Solid States: Changing Time for Concrete is a DVD featuring highlights from a Columbia-hosted 2008 conference of the same title. The book is available through Princeton Architectural Press or Amazon.