Institution of Structural Engineers names Robert Halvorson as 2016 Gold Medalist

Structural engineer Robert Halvorson was honored with the Institution of Structural Engineers's 2016 Gold Medal, the most prestigious prize they bestow. First awarded in 1922 to Professor Henry Adams, other notable winners in the Medal's history include Felix Candela, Ove Arup, Oleg Kerensky, and Edmund Happold. The award recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the structural engineering profession.

Better known as Bob among his peers, Robert Halvorson is a distinguished industry leader, with a specialty in the structural engineering of high-rise buildings and long-span structures. He began his career in the offices of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and became the firm's youngest partner at 31. In 1996, he established Halvorson and Partners, which quickly grew to a team of nearly 70 professionals within a decade. The firm then merged with WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff in 2015.

Over the last four decades of his career, Halvorson has worked on more than 60 buildings that are 40 stories or taller, including: the Wells Fargo Plaza in Houston, 111 West Wacker in Chicago, the Hanking Center Tower in Shezhen, and the Torre Caja Madrid, to name a few.

“To use the British expression, I am gobsmacked! I had no inkling or expectation of this award, and I was in shock for quite a while after being informed,” Halvorson stated on winning this year's Gold Medal. “Looking at the eminent past winners of the Gold Medal, I am very thrilled and honored to be considered worthy. I very much look forward to giving my Gold Medal Address to members of the Institution in the summer.”