UK Tekla Modelling Awards 2020 Shortlist

We are pleased to announce we have been shortlisted in the Structural  Design Category for the UK Tekla Modelling Awards 2020, with a further nomination for a Public’s Choice award.

Can you help us win the public choice award by voting for our model?

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Background: The UK Tekla Awards create an opportunity to showcase projects modelled using Tekla Software within the UK and Ireland.

During the time our engineer Euan Stenson saved during COVID19 on not travelling to meetings, he was able to complete the work he started from an idea presented by Cullinan Studio for a project. Euan ran with their brief and designed this amazing concept structure, and because the design was at concept stage, he could focus on the form finding and modelling which allowed him to use an expressed structure to draw the public attention to the water’s edge.

We asked Euan to share his thoughts with us on this project:

“Twickenham Riverside Development Bid has been by far the most complex and unusual structure I have been asked work on to date. As a young engineer, with less than 2 years’ experience, the opportunity to be involved in such a striking design was one I was determined to be a part of. We began the project at bid stage entering in partnership with Cullinan Studio Architects’ design team.

In the initial stage of the process, Director Stephen Vernon produced a wide range of hand calculations and sketches; investigating vertical load paths and element design. However, in order to gain an initial understanding of the wind load implications, Stephen believed we would require a structural computer model of Cullinan Studio’s proposed Wellbeing Centre. With limited time due to bid constraints, I initially spent three days modelling just the timber elements. This provided us with a concept structure to apply basic wind loads to, allowing us to get a feel for the steel column requirements and to understand the feasibility of the design.

The bid progressed to be chosen as one of the five finalists, narrowly missing out on the top spot. Whilst this meant we were no longer involved in the project, I could not resist completing the design. With the recent lockdown I had spare time in abundance and found myself furthering the structural model. I upgraded the timber canopy adding secondary elements enabling the completion of the fully functional wind model. With the lateral loading sorted, I was able to re-examine the reinforced concrete frame beneath in more detail as well as it’s supporting foundations. The timber canopy struggled under the wind cases, however, it allowed me to understand the load transfer occurring and highlighted areas where strengthening would be required.

The final model fully incorporates all aspects of the structural design, offering an accurate interpretation and realisation of Cullinan Studio’s architectural brief. My strong passion for varying structural materials heightened my enthusiasm when working on this project which cleverly incorporates the use of concrete, steel and timber.

To be shortlisted for the 2020 Tekla Awards gives credit to the outstanding design from Cullinan Studio as well as the hard work Mason Navarro Pledge put in to making this model possible.”

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