Philippe Block
Philippe Block is Professor at the Institute of Technology in Architecture at ETH Zurich. Co-director of the Block Research Group (BRG). Director of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) in Digital Fabrication. Founding partner of Ochsendorf DeJong & Block (ODB Engineering). Research at the BRG focuses on computational form finding, optimisation and construction of curved surface structures, specializing in unreinforced masonry vaults and concrete shells. Within the NCCR, BRG researchers develop innovative structurally informed bespoke prefabrication strategies and novel construction paradigms employing digital fabrication. With the BRG and ODB Engineering, Block applies his research into practice on the structural assessment of historic monuments in unreinforced masonry and the design and engineering of novel shell structures.
