San Francisco: Mark Sarkisian, SOM Structural and Seismic Engineering Partner, has received the prestigious Fazlur Rahman Khan Life-Cycle Civil Engineering Medal. The honor was bestowed upon Sarkisian on November 18, 2014, at the Fourth International Symposium of Life-Cycle Civil Engineering (IALCCE) in Tokyo.
The IALCCE gives the award to members who have made significant contributions to advancing structural engineering and life-cycle civil engineering, and have shared their research in journals, conference proceedings, and other publications. This award was established in honor of Fazlur Rahman Khan, one of the greatest structural engineers of the 20th century. Khan worked at SOM and is the engineering mastermind behind buildings such as the John Hancock Center and Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower).
Sarkisan has dedicated his career to developing innovative structural engineering solutions. Over the course of 32 years, his projects have received more than 50 awards. His extensive global portfolio includes the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, New United States Courthouse in Los Angeles, Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, and Al Hamra Tower in Kuwait.
He holds eight U.S. patents for environmentally responsible structural systems and high-performance seismic structural mechanisms. He has published more than 100 papers examining seismic behavior, tall building design, and innovative uses of materials. Additionally, he wrote a book titled Designing Tall Buildings: Structure As Architecture.
Sarkisian holds a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from Lehigh University and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Clarkson University. He received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Connecticut, where he was later named a Fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Engineers.
About Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) is one of the leading architecture, interior design, engineering, and urban planning firms in the world, with a 75-year reputation for design excellence and a portfolio that includes some of the most important architectural accomplishments of the 20th and 21st centuries. Since its inception, SOM has been a leader in the research and development of specialized technologies, new processes and innovative ideas, many of which have had a palpable and lasting impact on the design profession and the physical environment. The firm’s longstanding leadership in design and building technology has been honored with more than 1,700 awards for quality, innovation, and management. The American Institute of Architects has recognized SOM twice with its highest honor, the Architecture Firm Award — in 1962 and again in 1996. The firm maintains offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Abu Dhabi.
International Association for Life-Cycle Civil Engineering
The objective of the International Association for Life-Cycle Civil Engineering (IALCCE), founded in 2006, is to promote international cooperation in the field of life-cycle civil engineering for the purpose of enhancing the welfare of society. Its mission is to become the premier international organization for the advancement of the state-of-the-art in the field of life-cycle civil engineering. IALCCE encompasses all aspects of life-cycle assessment, design, maintenance, rehabilitation and monitoring of civil engineering systems.