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Video: TalkBack: Cecil Balmond, ARUP

In this interview, Cecil Balmond discusses his career as an engineer and the role of engineering in society. Balmond tells us how he started out as an engineer, touching on his work with Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind and Philip Johnson, and explains his current position at Arup's Advanced Geometry Unit. Public recognition of engineering today is considered in relation to its achievements in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and to Balmond's statement that 'part of an engineer's job description is to remain anonymous'. There is also a discussion of his theoretical work: themes from Balmond's latest book, Element, are explored – especially his idea that 'order is latent chaos' – while his interest in the natural world is assessed in terms of his engineering solutions. Finally, two of Cecil's engineering projects (the Weave Bridge and H_edge installation) are explored in detail.