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Catherine Houska
International Consultant – Stainless Steel in Architecture
The use of stainless steel in architecture and construction has increased significantly since it was first used in buildings such as the Chrysler building in the 1930s.It is specified for architectural applications because of its excellent corrosion resistance as well as for its visual qualities and versatility. With correct grade and finish selection, design, fabrication, and maintenance, the appearance and properties of the material will remain relatively unchanged over the life of the building. Stainless steel provides longevity unmatched by other materials.
The Southern Africa Stainless Steel Development Association (Sassda) is delighted to introduce the exciting opportunities presented by stainless steel at a series of one-day workshops conducted by Pittsburgh-based Catherine Houska between 20 and 27 August 2007.
Houska has over twenty-five years of experience and is an internationally recognised expert on architectural metals, particularly stainless steel. She regularly provides architects, building owners, contractors, and fabricators with consulting assistance on new projects and existing buildings. She has consulted on numerous significant architecture and construction projects throughout the world, including the recently completed US Air Force Memorial.
As an architectural consultant for numerous industry associations including the Nickel Institute (NI), International Molybdenum Association (IMOA), Ornamental Metal Institute of New York (OMINY), and Specialty Steel Industry of North America (SSINA), she has provided technical assistance and given workshops to thousands of industry decision makers in North, Central and South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.
Houska is the author of eighty-five articles, papers, and technical brochures. She regularly contributes to Construction Specifier Magazine and other leading industry publications and speaks at national and international conferences. She recently chaired the first international conference on stainless steel architecture and has been a member of American Public Transit Association (APTA) committees that have developed guidelines for material selection in transit buildings.
Houska is the Senior Development Manager of TMR Stainless in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She holds a BSc in Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science from Carnegie Mellon University and a MBA in industrial and international marketing from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University.
The comprehensive one-day workshops she will be holding in South Africa are based on recent workshops conducted in the United States, Australia and India. It covers the range of technical information necessary to successfully execute designs in stainless steel.
The program offers a valuable educational opportunity not only for architects, designers and specifiers, but for fabricators and building owners as well. Houska has organised the subject matter into well-defined sessions, beginning with a look at the aesthetic, environmental and practical reasons for using stainless steel, followed by a tutorial on stainless steel design fundamentals and selection and maintenance considerations for optimal life time appearance. Each session will discuss features of award-winning projects world wide that illustrate where knowledge of stainless steel design and fabrication methods helped architects achieve the design objective and avoid costly, embarrassing mistakes.
The workshops have been granted credit status (Continuing Professional Development) by the South African Institute of Architects and the South African Council for Quantity Surveyors.
The fee for the workshop is R350.00 (excl VAT) for the first two delegates from any one company. Thereafter, the fee for three or more delegates will be R175.00 (ex VAT) per delegate
For more information, contact George Whittle at Sassda. Phone: 011 803 5610. [email protected]
Source: Sassda website: http://www.sassda.co.za
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