A British-Saudi based firm specialising in the physics and maths behind curvy, complex façades has opened its first US office in downtown Los Angeles.
Credited for making futuristic landmarks around the world buildable, including the Zaha Hadid-designed Wangjing Soho Offices in Beijing (pictured), the firm Newtecnic also this week announced partnerships with two prominent US universities to develop cutting-edge construction techniques.
The office in California will be Newtecnic’s fourth location, expanding its presence beyond London and Cambridge in the UK, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
The LA office is just the beginning, as three more are scheduled to open this quarter across the US.
Newtecnic chief executive Andrew Watts called it "the natural evolution of our business".
"Global demand for dramatic, complex buildings has never been so high," he said, reports Civil + Structural Engineer.
"We are making a positive contribution to the US economy by introducing optimised 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."
Newtecnic said it will team up with UCLA Engineering and USC Architecture to research advanced building methods including digital, robotic and drone technologies.
Specialising in structural, façade and mechanical and electrical engineering, Newtecnic says it uses 3D modelling, physics and high-level mathematics to make complex designs buildable.
As well as Wangjing Soho Offices, completed in 2015, Newtecnic’s credits include Morocco’s Grand Théâtre de Rabat, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Metro hub, and Istanbul’s tallest structure the (KCTV) Tower.
Image: Newtecnic provided schematic design and design development for the Zaha Hadid-designed Wangjing Soho Offices in Beijing (Photograph by Jerry Yin/Zaha Hadid Architects)
