INVITATION

The 8th International Seminar on Structural Masonry will be held in November, 2008 at Istanbul Technical University, Turkey. This event is a follow-up to the successful seminars held in New Delhi (1981), Kuala-Lumpur (1987), Mauritius (1990), Madras (1992), Florianopolis (1994), Bangalore (2000), and Bello-Horizonte (2002).

Structural Masonry is a mainstay of traditional and modern architecture. This simple solution to the problem of creating habitable spaces for living and working has always appealed to the master builders. While the term "structural" mainly conjures images of load-bearing walls, in fact an integrated approach to design and construction demands treating structural masonry as part of the art, as well as the science, of architecture. It impinges on issues such as creativity, structural stability, physical performance, ecology, economy and practice.

This seminar will "provoke the potential of structural masonry”. The motivating spirit is the design of changing architectural environments by adapting to the technological and social trends that are revolutionizing the construction profession as a whole.

Istanbul - the cradle of many early civilizations and living symbol of a dynamic modern one - is an exciting venue for exploring the past and future of structural masonry. Istanbul Technical University will host the seminar in one of the most remarkable historical masonry buildings, "Taşkışla" the home of the Faculty of Architecture. The seminar will be jointly organized by Istanbul Technical University, Department of Architecture and Institute of Infrastructure and Environment, School of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh.

On behalf of the issm'o8 Organizing Committee, and Professor Braj Sinha, I cordially invite your valuable contributions as we explore the challenges and potential of structural masonry together.

Leyla TANAÇAN, Ph. D.
Istanbul Technical University