International fib Symposium on Conceptual Design Of Structures

The next fib Young Engineers Conference will take place from 26 to 28 September 2019 in Madrid, Spain.

March 15, 2019 | Deadline for submission of abstract
April 1, 2019 | Notification of acceptance of abstract
June 1, 2019 | Deadline for submission of full papers
August 1, 2019 | Notification of acceptance of papers

Conceptual design plays a leading role in defining the end-performance of structures. Facing new global challenges and embracing new technological opportunities, structural designers are encouraged to develop more creativity in their projects. Each project, independently on its size, is an opportunity to create.
Creativity in conceptual design is hard to foster and share. It is not the result of a sudden moment of inspiration, but the fruit of serious, systematic and ambitious work in the search of the most adequate solution to a given question. Conceptual design is actually rarely taught in civil engineering schools. Traditionally, and commonly to other creative fields (e.g. architecture, writing, gastronomy, painting), successful processes are context-dependent, experience-based and principle-driven. However, new training modes, deeper understanding of history, and the advent of new tools and technologies set forth new possibilities for creative endeavours.

The International fib Symposium on Conceptual Design of Structures is a one-of-a-kind event specifically addressed to creative designers of all experience levels. The event will take place at the Torroja Institute in Madrid, Spain, a unique blend of civil engineering and architecture.

Four sessions punctuate the symposium, each corresponding to a stage in the conceptual design process: INSPIRATION; DATA COLLECTION; CREATIVITY; and MATERIALIZATION. Each session is filled with a keynote lecture, plenary presentations of selected papers, an open debate with the audience, and a series of hands-on workshops leveraging state-of-the-art tools and methods.

For more information, please visit the official website.