Famous for their popular talks, TED's 2019 conference, which kicks off today in Vancouver, promises thought-provoking speeches from the likes of people such as Twitter's chief executive Jack Dorsey, and the journalist Carole Cadwalladr, who broke last year's Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Amongst the tech innovators and political activists, Brandon Clifford of the Cambridge-based firm Matter Design will be unveiling new research on concrete forms alongside CEMEX Global R&D. Clifford is a 2019 TED Fellow, selected by the program for his research into ancient buildings techniques and technologies.

An MIT architecture professor, Clifford researches early methods of construction, translating them into a modern context and applying them to contemporary buildings and projects. Past research has delved into Bronze Age stone-stacking techniques, which Clifford and his team used to explore new uses of construction waste.

His latest focus is on megalithic construction, inspired by the tremendous knowledge ancient civilizations held in moving heavy objects. With CEMEX, Clifford will be showing two projects, Janus and Walking Assembly, which demonstrate methods for assembling massive construction elements without the use of a crane. 

For Janus, the architects wanted to convey the potentials of moving mass with joy. First demonstrated at the American Academy in Rome, the architects teamed up with composers Federico Gardella and Simone Conforti to soundtrack an hour-long performance of a wobbling double concrete sculpture. Presented again at MIT, the dancer Terez Lowry choreographed a dance piece to go alongside the sculpture's movements. 

Building off of Janus, Walking Assembly looks at the past in order to inform the transportation and assembly of future architectures.  In particular, the architects were inspired by Moai statues on Easter Island, which weighed up to 82 tons a piece and were reportedly moved by walking themselves.

Using digital modeling and fabrication to test this historical hypothesis, the architects designed massive masonry units that can essentially "walk" themselves. By using variable density concrete, the center of mass of the object has been calibrated to ensure easy transportation and assembly. 

Both of these projects will debut at TED 2019 this week, where Cifford's research on new ways to think about ancient design has earned him recognition as an emerging talent.