About

Mir M. Ali is Professor Emeritus and former Chairman (1993-2003; 2007-2011) of the Structures Division of the School of Architecture at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently he is teaching there as an Adjunct Professor. He was twice recognized by the University’s Chancellor for academic excellence (1999, 2009). He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and received ASCE’s Millennium Challenge Prize (1999) for his winning article on skyscrapers in a world-wide competition. He is also a Fellow of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

Dr. Ali was the Chairman of CTBUH’s Committee 30-Architecture (1990-1998) and a Group Leader of its Group PA-Planning and Architecture (1998-2005) overseeing eight topical committees. He also served on the following CTBUH committees: Committee 3-Structural Systems (1990-2000); Committee 14-Analysis and Design…

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Mir M. Ali

CTBUH Roles

Expert Peer Review Committee, Member (2014 – Present)

Annual Conference, Presenter (Amsterdam 1995; Melboume 2001; New York 2005; Dubai 2008; Chicago 2019)

Height and Data Committee (2004 – 2005)

Architecture Committee, Chairman& Editor (1990 – 1996)

Videos

22 October 2009

CTBUH 8th Annual Awards

The CTBUH named the Linked Hybrid building as the 2009 Best Tall Building Overall at the 8th Annual Awards Dinner, held at Crown Hall in...

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Research

11 October 2019

Was the Home Insurance Building The “First Skyscraper”?

Mir M. Ali, School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Gerald Larson, University of Cincinnati

Chicago’s Home Insurance Building, the 12-story office building designed by William Le Baron Jenney, completed in 1885 and demolished in 1931, has frequently been referred...

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Research

28 April 2017

Debating Tall: Replace the Thompson Center?

Helmut Jahn, JAHN; Mir Ali, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Chicago’s drum-shaped, 17-story James R. Thompson Center, with its soaring atrium and extensive glazing, has been criticized for poor temperature control and spatial inefficiency, and...

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28 April 2017

Debating Tall: Replace the Thompson Center?

In the CTBUH Journal 2017 Issue II, two experts debate on the fate of the James R. Thompson Center as the State of Illinois plans to sell the historic building.

22 October 2010

CTBUH 2010 Annual Leaders Meeting

Following the CTBUH 9th Annual Awards Dinner & Ceremony, the CTBUH Leadership team met again bright and early on the campus of the IIT in Chicago for their annual Leaders Meeting.

21 October 2009

CTBUH 2009 Annual Leaders Meeting

Preceding the CTBUH 2009 Chicago Conference, 55 leaders within the CTBUH organization gathered to discuss current developments, progress on projects, and new ideas and initiatives.

22 October 2009

CTBUH 8th Annual Awards

The CTBUH named the Linked Hybrid building as the 2009 Best Tall Building Overall at the 8th Annual Awards Dinner, held at Crown Hall in...

03 March 2008

Track 7 Panel Questions and Answers

The panel of Track 7 including Mir Ali, Shyam Sunder, Philip Oldfield and Dickson Despommier, answered questions from the CTBUH 8th World Congress audience.

03 March 2008

Overview of Sustainable Design Factors in High-Rise Buildings

Mir Ali and Paul Armstrong from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign discussed the critical design factors and strategies that warrant consideration to accomplish sustainable...

11 October 2019

Was the Home Insurance Building The “First Skyscraper”?

Mir M. Ali, School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Gerald Larson, University of Cincinnati

Chicago’s Home Insurance Building, the 12-story office building designed by William Le Baron Jenney, completed in 1885 and demolished in 1931, has frequently been referred...

28 April 2017

Debating Tall: Replace the Thompson Center?

Helmut Jahn, JAHN; Mir Ali, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Chicago’s drum-shaped, 17-story James R. Thompson Center, with its soaring atrium and extensive glazing, has been criticized for poor temperature control and spatial inefficiency, and...

01 December 2016

An Overview of Structural & Aesthetic Developments in Tall Buildings Using Exterior Bracing & Diagrid Systems

Kheir Al-Kodmany, University of Illinois; Mir M. Ali, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

There is much architectural and engineering literature which discusses the virtues of exterior bracing and diagrid systems in regards to sustainability - two systems which...

19 September 2012

From Cityscape to Skyscape: The Changing Character of Cities

Mir M. Ali & Paul J. Armstrong, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Urban centers throughout the world are influencing the design of the supertall building as a “city within a city” and a “city in the sky.”...

01 January 2010

Sustainability and the Tall Building: Recent Developments and Future Trends

Mir M. Ali & Paul Armstrong, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

As a major energy consumer, the tall building does not ordinarily conjure images of sustainable design. But a new generation of tall buildings is incorporating...

09 June 2008

Toward a Better Urban Life: Integration of Cities and Tall Buildings

Mir M. Ali & Ajla Aksamija, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

In the context of a rapidly urbanizing world, architects and planners should aim to create cities that are thriving, vibrant, and healthy. Well-planned cities containing...

01 June 2008

Urban Design Strategy Report on Tall Buildings in Malta

Mir M. Ali, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The overarching purpose of the project was to offer expert advice to MEPA planning professionals and provide policy guidance on the siting, use and design...

03 March 2008

Overview of Sustainable Design Factors in High-Rise Buildings

Mir M. Ali & Paul J. Armstrong, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

This paper examines the critical design factors and strategies that warrant consideration to accomplish sustainable or high-performance tall buildings applying innovative technologies.