Recently, I have been involved in various discussions with core members of SmartGeometry about what exactly SmartGeometry is, what it should be and where it should be going. In this blog article I’ll try to explain what my point of view currently is and hopefully this will contribute to discussion about where we should go and, concerning the contents, what the next step is for the architecture, engineering and everything which relates to it.

To jump straight to the conclusion, I have always found SmartGeometry a very stimulated environment where I could meet like-minded people who were always working on pushing the cutting edge just a little bit further. In my opinion, SmartGeometry should dedicate its stimulating workshop concept and its eye-catching alumni day and conference to search for the next step we have to take as a profession, an industry, a society and possibly even mankind. Perhaps the last seems like an overambitious goal, but I strongly believe that our industry can contribute much to improve society and general quality of life.

The profession I am talking about is perhaps a bit confusing. I am often labelled as an engineer, because of my background of education and place of work. Therefore, I have dedicated my professional activities to working together in teams with architects, clients, contractors and other people to make people’s vision to a built reality. But opposed to some people’s opinions about engineers, I do not believe that we need to sit back and just wait until clients or architects come with a vision to start realising. Don’t get me wrong, I do not want to take anyone’s position at all, but I believe that also engineers should contribute engineer’s opinions and visions to mix them with other visions to come to a better, integrated concept which helps society forward. This is what drives me in my combination as an engineer and researcher.

Furthermore, I believe the lines which exist between firms are good for firms, but between people a much more fluent mix between disciplines is possible and this is exactly what SmartGeometry is and should be. We have academics, students and teachers, professionals, with backgrounds in architecture, the various flavours of engineering, manufacturing, software development, mathematics and so on. I hope to work with all these people (and more) to try to find what the next step should be.

People will question me: what is this next step in your opinion? And my answer would need to be that I don’t know. I can only explain what in my opinion we have explored so far, what we are currently exploring and where interesting fields in the future might lie for me. But that is something I will save for a next blog article on this new SmartGeometry website.

Perhaps in the meantime, feel free to write up your own opinion on what SmartGeometry should be or where we should be going, or what the interesting fields for the next step are. I am happy to discuss them with you on any occasion.

Jeroen Coenders