The Shape My City group met for
their third workshop on the 5th May. The theme was structural
engineering and the group were joined by structural engineer Ingrid Chauvet (RISE Structures). To begin with the group were given the task to create a bridge
structure using no 30 pieces of spaghetti and 25 mini marshmallows.
The strict brief was that the bridge would need to span a gap
of 10cm, be free standing and able to support the weight of a glue
stick. Prompted by Amy’s reminder of the strength of a triangle shape, there
were a range of sturdy responses and all the designs successfully met the
brief.
Ingrid then gave an interesting
and informative account of the choices she has made regarding her education and
career. She began by explaining how she had been inspired as an 18 year old
when she made her first visit to a construction site, and this ultimately led
to her undertaking an undergraduate degree in engineering. After graduating,
she worked in London and then in Bristol (mainly in timber framing). She
emphasised the benefits of knowing about and being interested in other areas of
design, especially considering that her career has evolved and her role
expanded over the years to include more time spent building relationships with
architects and clients, which requires a good general knowledge of the whole
design and build process. When asked what she considered to be the best
elements of her job, Ingrid reflected that she thought working with people was
the most exciting. While the maths and applied science involved in the process
is black and white, it is the people that ensure the work is varied, completed
to a high standard and problems are solved when things go wrong.
Amy asked Ingrid what advice
she would give her sixteen year old self. She emphasised the importance of
being open and naturally curious, as well as to not be afraid to gain
experience in a number of different areas and professions until you are sure
you find the path that excites you most.
For the design task for the
workshop, the group were asked to consider the design for a bridge to replace
the newly erected (and somewhat underwhelming) blue bridge to the new Bristol
Arena site. General comments were that the existing bridge design could
commended for embodying the history of the railway and industrial nature of the
area. However, the group felt that as the gateway into the proposed new arena,
the design needed to be more iconic.
It was apparent that for group one, this
was a prime consideration in the design of their bridge, which was spectacular.
Three separate yet interlocking pathways, in red, blue and green corresponded
to the different routes for pedestrians, cyclists and cars. In order to try and
discourage cars, the two weaving pathways going up high and over, with the best
view out onto the arena and surrounding area, would be for the cyclists and
pedestrians, rewarding them for their low carbon travel choice! At night the
two ends of the bridge would emit a warm glow that could be seen for miles
around, making the bridge a landmark destination in itself.
The second group’s design also
featured two separate pathways, the route for cyclists and pedestrians
elegantly suspended from the crossing for cars above. Imbedded in the design
was the notion that the new part of the city would support the old, and vice
versa. Thus, the group considered the socio-economic impact the Bristol Arena
would have on the city as a whole, and felt it was important that this
consideration was realised in the design of the bridge as a whole and so they
created another landmark design.
The final group felt that the
bridge design should embody and complement the natural curve of the river, so
that a connection with nature could be felt when crossing the bridge. Similar
to the first group, the pathway for cyclists and pedestrians would curve over
the cars, thus giving them the best view.
All groups responded with great
enthusiasm and skill to the design task at hand. Their designs showed a belief
in the potential for well considered and striking design to positively impact
an area under development/regeneration and our enjoyment of it. Another
inspiring session!
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