Tilt Lab, the philanthropic partner of the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, has commissioned Formations Studio to design a structure to be constructed in conjunction with the 2023 Tilt-Up Convention and Expo to be held in Tampa, Florida, from September 19–21, 2023. The program for the structure is simply to express an architectural potential for tilt-up concrete construction. The study will be presented as a work in progress during the event. Efforts are being made to donate the final structure upon completion.

The project team, listed below, includes some of the world’s most experienced tilt-up professionals who are collaborating for the public good to advance the industry.

Seretta Construction – Construction

Needham DBS – Structural Engineering

Innovative Brick Systems – Fabrication 

Leviat – Erection and Bracing

“To say that this project is going to be challenging is a gross understatement,” said Andrew McPherson, FTCA, president for Seretta Construction. “That being said, it’s efforts like this, where great ideas are transformed into physical realities, that progress is made. The initial investment in working through fabrication challenges, engineering complexities, and constructability details pave the way for teams to include such inspirations on projects with real budgets and schedules.”

Mark Scott, managing partner for Innovative Brick Systems, said, “Our commitment to this project stems from our sincere belief in the importance of creating unique and innovative designs that push boundaries and inspire future creations. This architectural marvel, with never-before-seen relief and design is a testament to this philosophy, and I hope that it will inspire others to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible with site cast, tilt-up construction.”

“It’s this kind of effort in experimental form, in an exhibition format—without the limits of function, utilitarianism, and without the boundaries of “why”—that will allow tilt-wall to move into the ‘why not,’” said Jeffrey Brown, FAIA, FTCA, chair of Tilt Lab. “This is how you ‘stretch’ the boundaries, which in turn create space for the everyday to move into. This is precisely Sullivan’s ‘seed-germ’ analogy of innovation.”

Attendees of the 2023 Tilt-Up Concrete Association Convention and Expo in Tampa, Florida, will be the first to experience the structure during construction. It will be featured in its current state at the center of the Outdoor Demonstration on the second night of the conference.

About Formations Studio

Formations Studio is the creative practice of Tristan Al-Haddad and is engaged in acts of art, architecture, science, and research by working across multiple disciplines and with many collaborators. The work is currently focused on projects at the scale of furniture, fragments, spatial installation, sculpture, and landscape; all of which are understood both in terms of discrete objects/spaces and in terms of a particular creative methodology, which is scale-less and can be applicable in various projects and at various scales. The work is bound by a common theme of creating visceral experiential sensations and exploring concepts of matter-energy transformations.

About Tilt Lab

As the philanthropic partner of the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, Tilt Lab’s mission is to cultivate emerging techniques, technologies, and ideas with promising applicability for the tilt-up concrete construction industry.