Depending on conditions, steel is an intelligent choice for building construction. What if the steel columns were "smart" enough to help mitigate the effects of relatively large differential horizontal movements in concrete floor plates subjected to sustained lateral earth pressures and movements due to creep, shrinkage, and temperature changes? This article describes the strategy used to mitigate the effects of large horizontal movements on structural design with smart steel columns that resist only gravity loads and not any compatibility moments. Walter P Moore has used this innovative design approach on several projects.