Paper Title
Coordinating a Unified Aesthetic Vision between Architect and Structural Engineer

Abstract
Constructing a cohesive Japanese design aesthetic in America presented a host of engineering and design challenges related to the creation of a massive multi-level reinforced concrete cantilevered staircase. The focal-point, standing within a three-story open atrium, required a wide variety of daring engineering solutions and construction coordination in order to achieve a result possessing great fidelity to the architect’s original design vision. This paper explores the methods by which the owner’s representative enabled the design vision to be unified and ultimately successfully constructed by a highly skilled concrete subcontractor’s team. The design for the staircase, located within a private museum, originated from Osaka, Japan based architect Tadao Ando in collaboration with a Chicago, Illinois based structural engineering team Thornton Tomasetti professional engineers. Index Terms - Cantilevered Stairs, Reinforced Concrete, Structural Engineering, Tadao Ando.