Kihong Ku
Assistant Professor
Department of Building Construction
Education
2005, Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Doctor of Design, Architecture, Thesis Committee: Professors Spiro Pollalis, Dan Schodek, Karen Stephenson, Bill Mitchell (MIT), Martin Fischer (Stanford)
2002, Harvard University , Graduate School of Design, Master in Design Studies, Project Management
1994, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, M.S. in Architecture
1992, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, B.S. in Architecture (with Honors)
Experience
2005-Present Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech, College of Architecture & Urban Studies, Dept. of Building Construction
2003-04 Teaching Fellow , Harvard University
2001-03 Teaching Assistant, Harvard University , Graduate School of Design
2001 Project Manager Hanmi Parsons Co., Ltd., Seoul , Korea Design manager of $20 million residential high-rise project. Realized improved coordination between owner, architect and contractors through effective design control and review. Conducted value engineering studies.
1994-00 Design Manager and Architectural Designer Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co, Ltd., Seoul , Korea , Architectural Design and Engineering Department - Assistant Project Manager of 3 fast-track design-build projects, including 1,910 unit housing redevelopment, $60 million department store, $4.5 million newspaper printing facility. Led design development, construction documentation and administration during design and construction. - Lead Designer of 5 design-build projects: residential, newspaper printing facility, distribution facility, exhibition hall, sport facility, etc. - Design manager of client project management team for $500 million mixed-used project. Coordinated between multi-party owner and US design architect (California-based Jerde Partnership), and local architect. - Design quality control manager for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. - Implemented AutoCAD data exchange standards for design and engineering teams.
Biography
Kihong Ku leads research in the area of project management of high-profile buildings and the application of information technology to facilitate and improve the design and construction process of such buildings. Current research projects focus on the implications of Building Information Modeling (BIM) which examine new modes of practices by fundamentally rethinking traditional paper based construction processes. This involves investigation of digital fabrication utilizing parametric modeling, prototyping and fabrication tools for building construction. His teaching delivers knowledge through the case studies methodology and also applies information technology to create new effective learning environments. He worked as a project manager for seven years at a large international construction company, taking responsibility for the design and management of large-scale complex projects. Kihong Ku received a BS and MS in Architecture from Seoul National University, and subsequently a Master in Design Studies and Doctor of Design from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.
Research Interests
2006- Holistic approaches to construction education Case study research of high-profile buildings
2002-05 Harvard University, GSD, Doctoral Thesis Investigation of the implications of three-dimensional geometric modeling in complex-shaped building projects. Case study research of effective practice models.
2002-04 Harvard University, Center for Design Informatics led by Prof. Spiro Pollalis Project management of high-profile buildings: project delivery and organizational schemes (sponsored by GSA)
Selected Publications
Ku, K. and Pollalis, S., “Contractual standards for effective geometry control in model-based collaboration ” ITcon Special Issue, Next generation construction IT: Technology foresight, future studies, roadmapping, and scenario planning, May 2009 (paper under review)
Ku, K., “The Eden Core Project: A case study on model-based collaboration for integrated project delivery”, Construction Research Congress 2009, April 5-7, 2009, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (in press)
Ku, K. and Gaikwad, Y., “Construction Education in Second Life”, Construction Research Congress 2009, April 5-7, 2009, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (in press)
Ku, K., Cardenas, C., "Flexibility in prefabrication approaches", 2008 ACSA Northeast Fall Conference, September 25-27, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2008
Ku, K., Geometry control of complex-shaped buildings: 3D model-based collaboration strategies for the Korean construction industry, Review of Architecture and Building, Special Issues: Design and Construction Technologies for Irregular Shaped Buildings , Vol. 52, No. 4, April 2008, Architectural Institute of Korea
Ku, K., and Pollalis, S., Fischer, M., Shelden, D., "3D model-based collaboration in design development and construction of complex-shaped buildings"ITcon Vol. 13, Special Issue Case Studies on BIM Use, pg. 258-285, 2008
Ku, K., "CAD/CAM mediated design and construction: a case study of the Bankside Loft Project", 2 nd International conference World of Construction Project Management, October 2007, Delft, the Netherlands.
Mishra, M., O'Brien, M., Ku, K., Beliveau, Y., "Digitally enabled mass customization in residential construction for production home builders", 2007 World Conference on Mass Customziation & Personalization, 2007, Cambridge, MA, USA
Ku, K., and Pollalis, S., Implementation Challenges for 3D Model-based Collaboration and Research Needs for Contractual Standards. European Conference on Product and Process Modeling, September 13-15, 2006, Valencia , Spain
Ku, K., 3D Model-based Collaboration for Complex-shaped Buildings: Effective Practices, Harvard University , Graduate School of Design, 2005 (dissertation)
Courses Currently Taught
BC5984 Integration of Design and Construction
BC5514 Principles & Practices of Construction I
BC5524 Principles & Practices of Construction II
BC2014 Construction Principles I
BC2024 Construction Principles II