Oldcastle Glass^® partners with Columbia University on Building More Intelligently

Working with Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), Oldcastle Glass^® has provided financial support for a three-year research grant for a new initiative called the Columbia Building Intelligence Project.

“This collaboration between Oldcastle Glass^® and GSAPP explores the conundrum of why the construction industry is so inherently inefficient,” said Ted Hathaway, Chief Executive Officer of Oldcastle Glass^®. “Increased collaboration among all parties involved in constructing a building is the key to working more cooperatively and more intelligently. This initiative seeks to change the future of our industry by transforming the education of our future leaders, reaching out to students during their advanced studies while pursuing a master’s degree in architecture at Columbia University. We hope this approach will offer students a clear understanding about how the industry works and how they can position themselves as pioneers to be the leaders of future change.”

The goal of this three-year pilot project is to establish a new Integrated Design Studio model for the future of architectural education. Unlike the traditional model of architectural education in which 12 students are guided by a single studio teacher for a single semester, this initiative organizes 30 to 40 students to come together with three GSAPP faculty members who bring in leading experts from various sectors of the industry to share knowledge, challenge assumptions, and explore the complexities of design problems through new experimental forms of collaborative and integrated working processes. The project will run on a three-semester cycle, working as a New York Think Tank in the fall and as International Think Tanks in the spring and summer. For more information, visit their website at http://www.arch.columbia.edu/c-bip.

About Oldcastle Glass^® – Oldcastle Glass^® is the leading supplier of architectural glass and aluminum glazing systems, including custom-engineered curtain wall and window wall, architectural windows, storefront systems, doors and skylights.

Oldcastle Glass^® is a subsidiary of CRH plc, one of the world’s top five international building products companies.

For More Information contact
Susan Trimble: Director of Corporate Communications