Technical depth
Members learn how seismic behavior, load paths, stiffness, and detailing influence a full tower proposal.
1 towerDeveloped collectively from first concept to final competition delivery.
Multiple disciplinesStudents contribute across civil engineering, architecture, testing, and outreach.
Competition-facingWork is shaped around design quality, structural performance, and presentation clarity.
What the McGill Seismic Design Team does
SDT is a working team, not a discussion club — moving through design, analysis, fabrication, and testing every academic year, then defending the result in front of judges.
That process ties design intent, structural logic, and team coordination together into one project, start to finish.
What members gain from the process
The team is designed to give students a clearer sense of how engineering ideas become real work.
Design culture
Architecture, structure, and presentation are developed together so the final project reads as one clear idea.
Hands-on execution
The work is not limited to drawings. Members fabricate, assemble, test, document, and present the final model.
Competition focus
SDT competes in the EERI Seismic Design Competition, where universities design high-rise balsa towers and present both their structural reasoning and design intent.
- Structural performance and seismic behavior are central to the project.
- Architectural quality matters because the tower is also evaluated as a designed object.
- Documentation, communication, and team presentation are part of the final result.
SDT's debut season placed 6th in Best Architecture with Komorebi Tower out of 53 universities. The following year, at SDC 2026 in Portland, the team improved to Top 3 in Best Architecture against 40+ university teams.
How a season moves
The work evolves over time, but the team keeps one continuous project narrative from the first concept review to the competition floor.
Research and concept
Each season begins with competition rules, precedent study, early concepts, and internal reviews.
Design development
The team refines the tower system, architectural language, and presentation logic before fabrication begins.
Build and competition
Members assemble the tower, prepare deliverables, and bring the project to testing and final judging.
Concentrations
SDT members contribute through several complementary areas of work.
Structural Design
Members design the tower to resist lateral and gravity loads while respecting competition constraints.
Architecture
The architecture direction shapes the tower identity, interior organization, and presentation story.
Construction and Testing
The project is fabricated, assembled, and prepared for testing and final competition presentation.
Want to see the team behind the project?
Meet the members building the season and explore how the competition work comes together.