The winners of The Structural Awards 2016 were announced during a ceremony held at The Brewery in London.
The Institution of Structural Engineers has presented the Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre in Surrey, Canada with one of the highest accolades in world engineering, “The Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence”.
Engineered by Fast + Epp, the Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre boasts the world’s most slender, long span timber catenary roof. The undulating roof shape reduces the amount of air to be heated and , cutting operational costs, while ingenious steel tube columns in the façade serve a double function, resisting wind loads and acting as ventilator ducts.
The Awards judges said: “We were struck by the undulating roof, which elegantly balances structural form with building use and celebrates the expressed materials. The adoption of timber in catenary permitted a structural depth of just 300mm for a 55m span - a design which defies convention and demanded design excellence.”
The winners of The Structural Awards 2016 are:
- Award for Sustainability: 5 Broadgate – London, UK (BuroHappold)
- Award for Education or Healthcare Structures: Blavatnik School of Government – Oxford, UK (Pell Frischmann)
- Award for Pedestrian Bridges: Elizabeth Quay Bridge – Perth, Australia (Arup)
- Award for Sport or Leisure Structures: Etihad Stadium Expansion – Manchester, UK (BuroHappold Engineering)
- Award for Small Projects: Formby Helical Stair – Formby, UK (Webb Yates Engineers)
- Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence AND Award for Community or Residential Structures: Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre – Surrey, Canada (Fast + Epp)
- Award for Small Practices: Expo2015 Hive – Milan, Italy + London, UK (Simmonds Studio)
- Award for Structural Heritage: Mount Stewart House – County Down, Northern Ireland (Mann Williams)
- Award for Infrastructure or Transportation Structures: Transformation of Birmingham New Street Station (Atkins/)
- Award for Arts or Entertainment Structures: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre – Athens, Greece (Expedition Engineering & )
- Award for Commercial or Retail Structures: Torre BBVA Bancomer - Mexico City, Mexico (Arup)
Photographs: by Ema Peter - Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre
