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HOW TO BUILD THE IMPOSSIBLE

This presentation takes an in-depth look at the masonry component of the Dr. Chau Chak Wing Building façade. Shaped like a “crumpled up paper bag”, Frank Gehry’s complex design required the development of 5 unique brick shapes produced by the Brickworks Bowral Bricks facility in Australia. A bespoke wall tie was also developed to secure the bricks to the undulating substrate. This iconic building has been highly influential in shaping the resurgence of contemporary brick architecture throughout Australia.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Discover how the façade at University of Technology Sydney (UTS) was designed and constructed.
2. Determine how design limitations were overcome with the development of unique bricks.
3. Identify the design details for the bespoke brick restraint system used.
4. Describe the design development, engineering, fabrication of the UTS façade.
5. Observe the installation and construction methods used on-site to achieve the highly detailed brickwork.

Credit: 1 AIA LU/HSW