James Sutherland History Lecture 2022

The annual James Sutherland History Lecture shares exceptional work on the history of structural engineering. The 2022 lecture was given by Pedro Guedes.

With the collapse of Spain’s South American dominions and Brazil’s independence in 1822, the continent’s potential beckoned European entrepreneurs, speculators and adventurers who had previously been excluded from its vast territories.

Pedro's lecture focused on the British engineers and manufacturers who came to the new emancipated republics seeking to market goods and services, promising to bring the fruits of the industrial revolution and propel the continent into the nineteenth century.

About the James Sutherland History Lecture

This annual lecture is a collaborative event between the Institution and the History of Structural Engineering Study Group. The lecture is named after the founder of the study group, the late James Sutherland - an engineer of considerable renown, specialising in prestressed and precast concrete structures.

Speakers

Mohamad-Al Dahbegan his career as a structural engineer at Arup, where he developed an interest in renovating old buildings. He then joined Dubai Land Department, founded the Real Estate Appraisal Centre and authored the Emirates Book Valuation Standards in 2010. He is currently Survey Director for the Government of Dubai and a Vice-President of the IStructE.

Pedro Guedesis a Research Fellow at the Univer¬sity of Queensland, Australia. Prior to becom¬ing a full-time academic, Pedro practiced architecture in London and taught at the Archi¬tectural Association and Royal College of Art. His research interests include the architectures of encounter in colonial contexts and the entry of new technologies into building.

Andrew Smithis the Convenor of the History of Structural Engineering Study Group. He has enjoyed around 50 years in structural engineering, including a few in research and a decade teaching architects. A sole practitioner since 1990, in recent years he worked on a number of historic timber frames as well as many domestic properties. In 2020 he completed an MA in Historical Research and is continuing research of London’s New River.