Enough?
Seminar-Workshop, Site Visits & Round Table
October,13-14-15
Madrid2025
Organizers
EVENT OVERVIEW
The Spanish Group of IABSE (International Association for Bridge and StructuralEngineering),theEscuelade Arquitectura,Ingeniería, Cienciay Computación – STEAM of the Universidad Europea de Madrid, and the Escuela de Arquitectura of the University of Alcala (UAH), organize the Seminar – Workshop, Site Visits, and Round Table: The Big Build IV. Innovative Yet Practical: Tall Buildings of the Future.
Designers,contractors,anddevelopershavetraditionallyhadambitionsto build the world’s tallest that satisfy needs for density and city building but, in some cases, centered around ego / notoriety. Concepts are easy to developbutcreatingbuildings thatareambitious yetpractical arefarmore difficult. Practically focuses on feasibility with budgets that support a development Performa considering first cost, constructability, time to market, and in some cases enhanced long-term performance. With changes to climate due to carbon emissions, a heightened focus on sustainable, high-performance design is emerging. Building codes are beginning to mandate designs that reduce the impact on the environment while still upholding life safetyas the ultimate mandate.
What arethemostimportantconsiderations forinnovative,yetpracticetall building designs? How can advanced technologies such as machine learning and AI enhance our approaches to design and construction? What is the future of building tall?
Organizing
Committee
M. Dolores G. Pulido, Rosa Cervera Sardá, Roberto Revilla Angulo, Álvaro Serrano Corral, and Alfredo Cámara Casado
Ningbo Guohua Finacial Tower, China, SOM
EVENT PROGRAM
SEMINAR
Mornings of October 13 and 14, 2025
Pages 4 and 5
Universidad Europea de Madrid
WORKSHOP
Afternoons and evenings of October 13 and 14, 2025
Pages 4 and 5
Universidad Europea de Madrid
SITE VISITS
Morning of October 15, 2025
Page 6
Madrid City Center
ROUND TABLE
Evening of October 15, 2025
Page 7
Universidad Europea de Madrid
REGISTRATION
Page 8
SPEAKERS & PANELISTS
Pages 9 to 11
SOM EXHIBITION: NODE
Morning of October 16, 2025
Pages 12 and 13
Escuela de Arquitectura, Universidad de Alcalá
SEMINAR –WORKSHOP PROGRAM
When?
Seminar willpromoteadialogue intallbuilding design where Architecturemeets Structure and Academics meet Practice. The workshop will give students an approach to high-rise constructionwithquickexercisestodevelopinnovativeverticalstructures.Theobjectivewill betoachievethemosteffectiveandinterestingmodelwiththeminimumCO2 emission.The work will becarried outinteamsbased on materialsprovided bytheorganizers.
Monday13& Tuesday 14, October2025.
Monday13October2025
Universidad Europea de Madrid, c/ Tajo s/n, 28670
SEMINAR –WORKSHOP PROGRAM
When?
Tuesday 14 October 2025 10:30
09:30
StructuresInfluence onArchitectureat AllScales
MARKSARKISIAN PartnerSOM
SmartEngineering forTallBuildings
ÁLVAROSERRANOCORRAL MC2EstudiodeIngeniería
12:00
TheChallengeofDesigning andConstructingtheIntricate Stainless-steelFaçadeofthe SantiagoBernabéuStadium
JORDIALCAINE ARUP
THEBIGBUILDIV WORKSHOP.PartII: Finalpresentation andcritique 13:00 Break
15:00-19:00
Where?
Auditorio Escuela de Arquitectura, Ingeniería, Ciencia y Computación – STEAM; Universidad Europea de Madrid c/ Tajo s/n, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid
Proyecto ESMASA:microalgas en la arquitectura, Alcorcón, Madrid Architect;Rosa Cervera Sardá Mechanical Engineer: Javier SánchezAlejo
SITE VISITS
Technical visits will be conducted to the Torres Emperador Castellana (formerly Torre Espacio) and Moeve (formerly Torre Cepsa), guided by technical staff involved in their design and construction, for the registered attendees of The Big Build IV.
When?
Where?
Registration
Wednesday morning,15 October 2025
Torre Emperador Castellana
Paseo de laCastellana, 259 D,28046 Madrid
Torre Moeve
Paseo de laCastellana, 259 A, 28046 Madrid
Those interested in attending are kindly requested to send an email to geiabse@iabse.org, indicating the attendee’s given name and surnames, affiliation, and e-mail address.
Image on thefelt: TorreMoeve
Image on the right: TorreEmperador Castellana
ROUND TABLE
Moderator
Panelists
The Big Build IV. Innovative Yet Practical: Tall Buildings of the Future
M. Dolores G. Pulido – Chair of the Spanish Group of IABSE
Mark Sarkisian –SOM
Rosa M. Cervera Sardá – University of Alcala & Cervera Arquitectos
Patricio García –ARUP
Álvaro Serrano Corral – MC2 Estudio de Ingeniería
When? Where?
Javier Gómez Mateo – BERNABÉU Ingenieros
Wednesday 15 October 2025, 18:00 h - 20:00 h
Auditorio Escuela de Arquitectura, Ingeniería, Ciencia y Computación - STEAM
Universidad Europea de Madrid, c/ Tajo s/n, 28670
Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid
Diagonal ZeroZero Tower, Barcelona
Architect:EMBA, Enric Massip - Bosch
Structural Engineering: MC2 Estudio de Ingeniería
THE BIG BUILD IV EVENT
–REGISTRATION
Registration for the The Big Build IV Event is free for all students (undergraduate, master and doctorate) belonging to the Universidad Europea de Madrid and to the School of Architecture of the University of Alcala,UAH.
Forallotherparticipants,thefeeis75€.
To register, send an e-mail to the IABSE Spanish Group (geiabse@iabse.org), specifying participant's given name and surnames, affiliation, and e-mail address.
The email must include a copy of the bank transfer receipt (if applicable), to be sent by October 12, 2025, indicatingintheconceptofthetransferthefullnameof theparticipant.
Bank: CaixaBank
Bankaddress: c/RíosRosas,44,28003Madrid
AccountNumber: ES4921003226021300112627
Swiftcode: CAIXESBBXXX
Beneficiary: GrupoEspañoldeIABSE
Mare Nostrum Tower,Barcelona
Architect:EMBT,Benedetta Tagliabue
SPEAKERS &PANELIST
Mark P. Sarkisian
PE, SE, NAE, LEED BD+C, Partner of Seismic and Structural Engineering in the San Francisco office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, has developed innovative engineering solutions for over 100 major building projects around the world including some of the tallest and most complex. Mark holds ten U.S. Patents and five International Patents for highperformance seismic structural mechanisms designed to protect buildings in areas of high seismicity and for seismic and environmentally responsible structural systems. In 2021, Mark was elected to the prestigious United States’ National Academy of Engineering and in 2025 he was elected to the National Academy of Construction. He is the author of “Designing Tall Buildings – Structure as Architecture,” and teaches at UC Berkeley, California College of the Arts, Stanford University, Cal Poly, Northeastern University, NC State University, the Pratt Institute, and Alcala University in Madrid. He has a BS-CE Degree from the University of Connecticut and is a Fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Engineers, an MS-SE Degree from Lehigh University, an Honorary Doctorate Degree from ClarksonUniversity,andanHonoraryMaster’sDegreefromthePolitecnicodiMilano.
Rosa Cervera
Rosa Cervera is a Ph.D. Architect and Full Professor at the University of Alcalá, where she also served as Dean of the School of Architecture. She has been a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University (2009) and a Visiting Fellowat the Universityof Miami (2015). Founder of Cervera Arquitectos (formerly Cervera & Pioz), her professional work spans Spain, Russia, China, India, Malaysia, and Bolivia, and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Knowledge Transfer Award, the Golden Global Award, and distinctions from the Madrid City Council and the Architects Association. Her research and practice focus on the application of bionics and biomimetics to architecture, with emblematicprojects suchastheBionicTower, aprototypeof aself-sustainable verticalcity. Her most recent investigations explore the use of living organisms in construction, particularly through architectural photobioreactors with microalgae. Cervera has lectured extensively at universities and professional institutions in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Her workhas been widelypublished and exhibited,most recentlyin the monograph Diálogo Arquitectura Naturaleza (2024). She is also the author of several books and articles, including Architecture Inspired by Nature: Experimenting Bionics (2023), Bionics, Biomimetics and Architecture (2019), and Space and Time in Architectural Composition (2018).
SPEAKERS &PANELIST
Álvaro Serrano Corral
Álvaro is an expert in structures and Director of MC2 Estudio de Ingeniería.Hejoinedin2002afterobtaininghisCivil&Structural EngineeringdegreeintheTechnicalUniversityofMadrid.InMC2, he develops all manner of structural projects and construction procedures for both civil works and singular building structures together with well-known architects. He received a special mention of the 2017 AAYE Award from fib in the category of Design and Construction. Álvaro is also Adjunct Professor in Steel and Composite Bridges and Structures at the Technical Universityof Madrid(UPM).
Patricio García
With over 25 years of professional experience, Patricio has played a key role in structural engineering projects across all phases—from conceptual and schematic design to the development of construction documentation and on-site engineering support during construction. His portfolio includes a diverserangeofprojects,includinghigh-risebuildings, corporate headquarters, airports, hospitals, office complexes, hotels, shopping centers, subway stations, data centers, and structural renovations.TheseprojectsspanmultiplecountriesacrossNorth andLatinAmericaaswellasEurope.Whilehiscoreexpertiselies in structural design, Patriciohas alsoled multidisciplinary teams, drawing on his deep understanding of integrated design challenges. He has worked for engineering firms in both Spain and the United States, and for the past 18 years in Arup, where heisan Associate Director.
SPEAKERS &PANELIST
Jordi Alcaine
Jordi Alcaine is a Msc Civil Engineer member of the Building Envelope design team of Arup Madrid. Jordi has extensive international experience in façade design and construction, specializing in the design of structural glass and complexsteel&glassstructures.HecommencedhisprofessionalcareeratArup Madridin 2014andsubsequentlyrelocatedtoLondonin 2016tofurther develop hisexpertise inthefield.Since2018, hehas beenleading and managingfaçade engineeringdrivenprojectsbasedinMadrid.Inadditiontohisprofessionalwork, Jordi has been actively involved in the dissemination of technical knowledge within the industry. He has contributed articles to specialized journals and delivered presentations at technical conferences related to façades and glass technology.Hiswork intheseareashassupportedinnovationandthesharingof best practices within the professional community.
Javier Gómez Mateo
Architect,graduated from TechnicalUniversityof Madrid(UPM, 2006).Holder of an official Master’s Degree in Building Structures from UPM, 2011. Bachelor’s Degree in Building Engineering from the European University of Madrid (UEM, 2015).Specialistindynamicstructuralanalysis,seismic-resistantstructures,and mixed and precast concrete construction. He has been working at Bernabeu Ingenieros since 2014. He has contributed to the structural development of projectssuchastheMohammedVITowerinRabat;theLimaConventionCenter inLima,Peru;theseismicanalysisofsteel structuresfortheLa Cadellada water treatment plant in Chile; the new Faculty of Psychology at the University of Málaga inSpain; the La Pletade Ordinoresidential complexin Andorra; andthe bridge over the Miño River between Tomiño and Vila Nova de Cerveira. He has extensive experience in the development of construction projects using BIM methodology since 2009 (official Autodesk certification in Architecture and ConstructionwithintheBIMenvironment).Since2023,hehasservedasLecturer at the School of Architecture(UPM), andsince 2022 atthe San PabloUniversity (CEU).
SOM EXHIBITION: NODE
Opening
NODE
SOM Exhibition at the School of Architecture, Universityof Alcalá
Although this exhibition is not part of The Big Build IV, given the involvement of Mark Sarkisian, Partner at SOM, inthe BigBuild events, we are pleased to announce an SOM exhibition that will undoubtedly appealtoallthosepassionateaboutoutstanding structuralengineering.
The exhibition presents SOM’s work through three main themes — legacy,ongoingresearch,andartisticpractice—offeringinsightintothe firm’s evolution, methods of inquiry, and the cultural dimension of its architecturalpractice.
The opening will take place on Thursday, October 16, at 11:30 h. Immediatelyafterwards,MarkSarkisianwilldeliveralecturefollowedby anopendiscussion.
Where?
Registration
School ofArchitecture,AlcalaUniversity,UAH c/SantaÚrsula,8, 28801Alcalá deHenares, Madrid
Freeadmission.Toregister,sendane-mailtotheIABSESpanishGroup (geiabse@iabse.org) indicating the attendee’s given name and surnames,affiliation,ande-mailaddress.
SOM EXHIBITION: NODE
Enough?
Seminar-Workshop, Site Visits & Round Table
October, 13-14-15
Madrid 2025