1. science
2. engineering

Welcome
Welcome to Future of Design! Today’s event has been organised by the International
Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). Some of you may not
have heard of IABSE before, in which case here is a very short introduction. IABSE
has members in 100 countries and has 48 National Groups. The primary aim of
IABSE is to advance the built environment industry worldwide - this includes structural
engineers, architects and researchers.
Today’s event is being hosted by IABSE British Group. The British Group’s aims
are to provide the opportunities to our members and non-members in the UK to
advance their knowledge, careers and interests in our amazing industry. Future of
Design is aimed particularly at young people early on in their careers. We have our
career mentoring events ‘Journey to Success’, numerous site visits to high profile
and exclusive projects, and weekend trips within Europe. We hope you enjoy today’s
event, learn a lot - not just from the talks but also from chatting to other delegates,
and get to know some people from our fantastic community.
We are developing a community of like-minded, passionate, driven, young
professionals. The first step to becoming part of that community involved attending
our events (so that’s you!). Next would be to join as an IABSE member. IABSE
membership gives you discounts on events such as today, and priority access to our
site visits which sell out very quickly, as well as access to some of the most renowned
and successful people in our industry. More information on signing up can be found at
the website below.
IABSE is a very friendly organisation. Here at the British Group, all our events are
organised by engineers and architects and we are constantly looking for ideas and
energy from new participants. If you have any ideas you wish to share with us, new
events we can hold or ways we can improve, then please email us at the address at
the bottom of the page. We are also looking for an organising team for next year’s
Future of Design Conference, so please don’t hesitate to make yourself known if you
are interested.
I’m happy to chat further, as are all the engineers for today’s event! Please don’t
hesitate to introduce yourself to me today.
Lee Franck
IABSE British Group
[email protected]
www.iabse.org.uk
Today’s event would not have been possible without the following people:
Chairs
Ian Firth, Flint & Neill, IABSE British Group Chairman
Mark Bulmer, AECOM, IABSE British Group
Jeff Young, Mott MacDonald, IABSE British Group Treasurer
Antony Oliver, Infrastructure Intellignece
Paul Lambert, Mott MacDonald
Organising Committee
Alison Waterworth, AECOM
Edward Dablin, AECOM
Hunter Lyden, Arup
Ian Towler, Mott MacDonald
Jason Hyde, Mott MacDonald
With Thanks To
Our Sponsoring Organisations
IABSE British Group Executive Committee
Why not tweet to us during the
conference using this hashtag:
#fodnorth2015
Keynote Speakers
FRANCINE HOUBEN // MECANOO
Francine Houben MSc FRAIC FAIA HonFRIBA, the founding partner and
creative director of Mecanoo, is one of the Netherlands’ leading architects. With
her practice she has sought to create buildings that ‘touch all the senses’. Her
architecture encompasses ‘emotional, social, playful and humane aspects’ as well
as intellectual, conceptual and visual ones. From ground breaking housing projects
in her early years, she has gone on to design signature cultural projects. She has
been honoured with many awards for her work and was recently granted lifelong
membership of the Akademie der Kunste in Berlin. In 2014 the UK Architects’
Journal named her as ‘Woman Architect of the Year’.
BRIAN DUGUID // MOTT MACDONALD
Brian Duguid is a Technical Director and Practice Leader for Bridges at Mott
MacDonald. With experience in all areas of bridge engineering, he enjoys the
creative and collaborative sides of design. Brian has been involved in a number of
design contests, as well as helping to produce IABSE’s International Guidelines
for Bridge Design Competitions. He is an Honorary Lecturer in bridge design at
the University of Manchester, a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a
member of the IABSE British Group’s Executive Committee. Brian is currently the
lead design civil engineer for Network Rail’s Ordsall Chord Project.
MIKE TONKIN // TONKIN LIU
Mike is an Architect and Landscape Architect with over 20 years of experience
developing innovative projects in architecture, art, and landscape, qualified as
an architect in the UK. He graduated in Architecture at the Royal College of Art,
London. Mike has taught and lectured at numerous schools of architecture in
England and the Far East, and he currently teaches at the University of Bath. He
lectures on a number of subjects including world vernacular architecture, using the
experience and photographs taken from his extensive travels.
People, Place, Purpose: Looking for Identity in a World of Globalisation
Francine Houben’s team at Mecanoo have the ambition to design buildings with a strong reverence for
context; physically, historically, environmentally and socially. In this lecture she will present her vision and
the philosophy behind her work. Constantly seeking to improve the quality of the living environment and
benefit to the community, Houben always wants to create “unforgettable spaces”. She will take you along
her wide ranging international portfolio, which features the Library of Birmingham and REP Theater (which
opened in September 2013), and the National Kaohsiung Centre for the Arts (also known as Wei-Wu-Ying)
which is set to open in October 2016.
What is the Future of Design - observations from the Northern Hub
Network Rail’s Northern Hub programme of rail improvements is one of the North West’s largest and most
challenging infrastructure schemes. The key Ordsall Chord section of Northern Hub will feature the UK’s
first network arch bridge, a technically complex and architecturally sensitive structure. Several associated
elements of the design are highly innovative or require state-of-the-art design and engineering work.
What is the future of design? Technical Innovation? Modularisation? Low-carbon? BIM?
The presentation will draw on experience from the Ordsall Chord and wider Northern Hub to suggest some
possible answers.
Within Nature
Nature will shape the future of design: elements generously given to us for free, impact of forces on built
form, lessons on form, performance, economy, adaptability, diversity and beauty.
From a bridge in Salford to an insert for the Trachea, the collaboration between Tonkin Liu architects and
Arup engineers have invented “Shell Lace Structure”, a pioneering design, structural and constructional
technique using the most advanced digital tools and founded on lessons within nature. In this talk Mike
Tonkin and Anna Liu will tell the story of the discovery of Shell Lace Structure and its development through
projects of vastly different scales during this 6-year long journey.
Keynote Speakers
ANNA LIU // TONKIN LIU
Anna is an Architect with over 15 years of experience in architecture, art and
landscape, qualified as an architect in the UK. She graduated in Architecture at
Columbia University. Having previously worked for Arup Associates in Hong Kong
and in London, she set up Tonkin Liu with Mike Tonkin in 2002.
Together they taught at the Architectural Association School of Architecture for
four years, exploring studies of patterns in nature and in human nature, a topic
they have begun to explore with a Master of Architecture Design Studio at the
University of Westminster.
PETER MILLER // SEVERFIELD PLC
Peter joined Watson Steel (now part of Severfield Plc), 36 years ago as a trainee
designer after graduating from Bolton Institute of Higher Education (now Bolton
University) with a Degree in Civil Engineering. He became a Chartered Structural
Engineer in 1983.
Installation options for Steel Bridges in restricted sites
(and how these might influence the permanent design)
On complex projects, the installation method can often affect the permanent design and therefore it is
important that the construction method is developed in parallel with the main frame design.
During his early career he gained experience in all departments including the
Drawing Office/Design Office/Fabrication workshops before working on site where
he found his niche. He worked in all levels of management before being promoted
to Construction Director at the age of 40.
There are also many structures that by their very nature are not stable until they are complete and the
construction sequence and temporary works and catering for the temporary stresses, are as important, if
not more so, than getting the most efficient final solution. This latter issue is becoming more common place
as with the use of powerful analysis programmes the range of steel structures that we are ‘daring’ to build
become more adventurous.
In 2001, Watson Steel joined the Severfield Group and Peter took over this current
role as Business Development Director. In this role he uses his vast experience to
identify and develop new business opportunities.
These issues are of course a prerequisite of the CDM regulations, but it is surprising how often they are
overlooked or ignored.
Over the years, he has personally been involved in the construction of some of
the most iconic and complex structures around the world including Sub-millimetre
Wave Telescope in Hawaii and Chek Lap Kok Airport in Hong Kong.
NEIL THOMAS // ATELIER ONE
Neil Thomas is the Founder & Director of Atelier One, which has been described
as ‘the most innovative Engineering Practice in the UK’. Atelier One has gained
international reputation as a Structural Engineering Practice specializing in
challenging projects. Collaborations with Architects, Artists, and Designers have
resulted in many interesting built projects such as Gardens by the Bay with Grant
Associates & Wilkinson Eyre, London 2012 & Sochi 2014 Olympics Opening
Ceremonies, Cloud Gate with Anish Kapoor and ‘The Claw’ Stage for U2’s 360
Degree World Tour, with Mark Fisher.
Neil holds a number of high profile posts in the UK & US educational service, most
recently being a Visiting Professor to Yale and MIT, and has recently co-written a
book titled ‘Liquid Threshold’ which gives insight to the complex challenges of a
number of extraordinary projects. Neil was elected Royal Designer for Industry in
2014.
In this presentation I will talk about some of the complex construction issues that I have been involved in,
how they influenced the design and how they were dealt with.
Why not?
“There are those people who look at the world as it is and ask why? There are those people who look at the
world as it might be and ask why not?”
- John F Kennedy
“What do you actually do?”
How many times have I been asked that question in my career?
The thing is, the more time I spend being an engineer, the more difficult it is to define.
I have 25 minutes.
In that 25 minutes I will show you that being an engineer is not what you think.
It is so much more.........
Keynote Speakers
RICHARD HORNBY // ARUP
Richard is Director at Arup leading Bridges and Civil Structures for UK, Middle East
and Africa, he is also the Main Crossing Technical Manager for the Employer’s
Delivery Team for the Queensferry Crossing.
His 32 year career has been spent both as Contractor and Designer. Initially
working for Rendel Palmer and Tritton on projects such as Rodenkirchen
Bridge over the Rhine and Rion Antirion over the Gulf of Corinth. He then joined
Cleveland Bridge and was responsible for the inception of the construction
schemes, alternative designs and early contractor involvement that included most
structural forms for major bridge projects around the world. He has been involved
relatively equally in repair and new build of bridges. Since joining Arup, as well
as working on the Queensferry Crossing from inception to completion, he has
designed repairs for the Humber Bridge and 8 major bridges in The Netherlands.
CHRIS WISE // EXPEDITION ENGINEERING
Born in 1956, Chris joined Ove Arup and Partners in 1979. After working in Uk,
Australia and USA, he became Arup’s youngest ever Director in 1992, later
appointed one of five Board Directors responsible for Building Engineering.
He co-founded Expedition in 1999 and has developed the company over the past
thirteen years into a leading niche engineering consultancy. In 2012, Chris was
honoured with two Gold Medals, receiving the highest individual award from both
IStructE and ICE in recognition of his contribution to the engineering industry
throughout his career.
Queensferry Crossing - A Unique Design
The Queensferry Crossing is the three tower cable stayed bridge currently under construction over Firth of
Forth outside Edinburgh. It will claim a number of world firsts when complete, including longest composite
cable stayed span and longest span for three tower cable staged bridge. This talk will describe the
evolution of the design to include the first use of overlapping stays to achieve elegance and savings in both
deck and tower structure. A construction update will be given to describe vision being turned into reality.
They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance
Civil War General John Sedwick was unexpectedly (to him) shot by sniper fire immediately after telling his
gunners “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance”.
As a fine example of misreading a situation it has some parallels with contemporary engineering, in which
perception and rhetoric, no matter how firmly asserted, sometimes assume a greater importance than
content and end-product.
Skills of the former are developed at the expense of the latter, because engineering is not something like:
“The process of using BIM for the purpose of maximising corporate acceptability”, but rather “The art of
changing the physical world for the use and benefit of mankind.”
Including an attempt to show, by examples, where the art of engineering has helped humans by paying
attention to them. Also, with something on the development of the skill of engineering “art” in practice.
ALISON WATSON // CLASS OF YOUR OWN LIMITED
Alison is a topographical surveyor and creator of ‘DesignEngineerConstruct!’
(DEC!) an alternative digital built environment learning programme to inspire young
people and their teachers to discover a wide range of technical and professional
careers.
She is Managing Director of ‘Class Of Your Own’, the company she established
to provide contextualised support and opportunities for DEC! students through
industry and academic links. Cited in Construction 2025, and winner of the CICES
Richard Carter Prize in 2014 and TSA President’s Award in 2013 in recognition of
her commitment to education, Alison also represents Youth and Learning on the
CITB Council.
British school children are the Future of Design
The Design Engineer Construct! learning programme is an innovative built environment curriculum which
enables young people to access vital pathways to professional and technical built environment careers.
DEC! students from St Ambrose Barlow RC High School in Salford won the 2014 ‘Hotel Underground’
Competition, taking a London Underground tube station and transforming it into a hotel for James Bond
and his guests. They will present their winning, BIM focused design project.
Alison will be joined by Luke Steedman, Bradley Lees, Luke Chantler and Craig Vevers (students at St
Ambrose Barlow RC High School, Swinton, Greater Manchester).
Keynote Speakers
DR ROBIN SHAM // AECOM
Dr. Robin Sham is the Global Long Span Specialty Bridge Director of AECOM with
a career spanning over three-and-a-half decades and several continents. He was
the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) Gold Medalist in 2013 and was recognised
as a key innovator in the Taizhou Bridge project which received the Construction
Innovation Forum (US) NOVA Award for Innovation in 2014.
Dr. Sham received his doctorate from Imperial College London and saw active
service in motorway construction in the northwest of England and in the Second
Severn Crossing project, amongst many other campaigns in the UK.
From here to eternity
The human thought processes involved in creative design are an intrigue. Decades on since his research
into artificial intelligence in conceptual bridge design, Robin will present case examples of landmark bridge
projects, past and present, with special reference to design as an intellectual and practical endeavour. He
will illustrate the catalysts for innovation in bridge design; and add to the debate on whether innovation is
best engendered through evolution or by revolution. He will also provide a glimpse of the future in bridge
design, and the potential success which can be enjoyed by the engineering design profession.
His contributions to long span bridge engineering worldwide include the Sutong
and Stonecutters Bridges, two of the world’s longest cable-stayed bridges, and
the Taizhou Bridge, the world’s first long-span, three pylon, and two-main span
suspension bridge.
Three-and-a-half decades into his career, he says he definitely recommends civil
engineering as a most satisfying career for the aspiring younger generation.
XAVIER DE KESTELIER // FOSTER AND PARTNERS
Xavier De Kestelier is joint head of Foster + Partners’ Specialist Modelling Group
(SMG), the architecture practice’s multi-disciplinary research and development
group. His team acts as a design and technology catalyst and has been involved in
ground breaking research in the field of large scale 3D printing.
Over the years Xavier has been a Visiting Professor at Ghent University, Adjunct
Professor at Syracuse University and is currently a Teaching Fellow at The
Bartlett School of Architecture. Since 2010, he has been one of the directors of
Smartgeometry, a non-profit educational organisation for computational design and
digital fabrication.
Designing for Extreme Environments : 3D Printed Lunar Base
Foster + Partners is part of a consortium set up by the European Space Agency to explore the possibilities
of 3D printing to construct lunar habitations. Addressing the challenges of transporting materials to the
moon, the study is investigating the use of lunar soil, known as regolith, as building matter. The lunar
base was designed to house four people, which can offer protection from meteorites, gamma radiation
and high temperature fluctuations. The design and the engineering of the dome took full advantage of the
geometrical possibilities of 3D printing by using a closed foam geometry as a structural system.
Programme
08:30
09:00
09:10
09:35
10:00
10:35
11:00
11:20
11:45
12:10
12:35
12:50
13:35
13:35
15:00
15:00
16:00
16:20
16:55
17:20
17:45
FROM 18:30
19:30
REGISTRATION
OPENING ADDRESS
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
MARK BULMER //
FRANCINE HOUBEN //
BRIAN DUGUID //
ANNA LIU & MIKE TONKIN //
PETER MILLER //
COFFEE
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
NEIL THOMAS //
RICHARD HORNBY //
CHRIS WISE //
IABSE BRITISH GROUP //
ADDRESS
Q
LUNCH
GIULIA EVELINA FENCI //
YOUNG DESIGNERS GROUP A
CHRISTOPHER BEVINGTON //
BEN LUCKIN //
JAGVINDER SINGH //
KARL JAMES //
DEVARAJA RAJAN //
MATHEOS CHRISTOFOROU //
YOUNG DESIGNERS GROUP B
CHRISTOPHER WOOD //
ELEANA KARAYIANNI //
HARPREET SINGH SIDHU //
GEORGE SMART //
JOHN HURLE //
//
DISCUSSION PANEL:
//
Should there be quotas for women in the workplace?
//
DISCUSSION PANEL:
//
Is emerging technology a risk to the design professional?
//
COFFEE
ALISON WATSON //
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
DR ROBIN SHAM //
XAVIER DE KESTELIER //
IAN FIRTH //
CLOSING ADDRESS / AWARDSAWARDS
//
DRINKS RECEPTION AT MOSI POWER HALL
DINNER AT MOSI REVOLUTION GALLERY
AECOM, IABSE BRITISH GROUP
Chaired by Mark Bulmer
MECANOO
MOTT MACDONALD
TONKIN LIU
SEVERFIELD PLC
ATELIER ONE
Chaired by Jeff Young
ARUP
EXPEDITION ENGINEERING
IABSE BRITISH GROUP
UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD
AMEY
Chaired by Mark Bulmer
Sponsored by Severfield Plc
AECOM
AECOM
PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF
RAMBOLL
MOTT MACDONALD
PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF
Chaired by Ian Firth
Sponsored by Severfield Plc
TONY HOGG DESIGN LTD
COVENTRY UNIVERSITY
AECOM
RAMBOLL
Chaired by Antony Oliver
Chaired by Paul Lambert
CLASS OF YOUR OWN LIMITED
AECOM
FOSTER AND PARTNERS
FLINT & NEILL, IABSE BRITISH GROUP
Chaired by Jeff Young
Young Designers Group A
GIULIA EVELINA FENCI // UNIVERSITY OF SALFORD
JAGVINDER SINGH // AECOM
Deployable Biomimetic Structures
Implementing BIM on the Northern Hub Project
Originally from Italy, Giulia graduated last summer with a First Class Honours
Masters Degree in Civil and Architectural Engineering at the University of Salford.
Chartered Civil Engineer with experience in Bridge Engineering. He has designed
several structures for both light and heavy railway multi-disciplinary schemes such
as Manchester Metrolink Phase 3B and Northern Hub, where he is currently the
Deputy Ancillary Civils CRE.
She has since won a scholarship to fund her PhD regarding the optimisation
of biomimetic deployable structures. She has worked for tensile membrane
companies such as Vector Foiltec and Architen Landrell.
CHRISTOPHER BEVINGTON // AMEY
KARL JAMES // PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF
Chorley Tunnel and ‘Flying Arches’
Sensitivity Analysis of Deck Beams with Concrete Damage
As a Civil Engineer in Amey’s rail design team in York, Chris works as designer
on a range of bridge reconstruction, station redevelopment and other rail
infrastructure projects.
Karl James studied Architectural and Civil Engineering at Cardiff University where
he completed his MEng in 2013. He then joined Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Civils,
Structures and Ground Engineering team and has since been involved in a wide
range of projects.
Chris works closely with a number of Network Rail contractors to provide solutions
that can be built within the tight time constraints of a busy rail network.
BEN LUCKIN // AECOM
DEVARAJA RAJAN // RAMBOLL
Chester Zoo - Islands
Tennison Road Bridge Replacement
An Incorporated Engineer, Ben graduated from the University of Salford in 2009.
Since graduating he has worked for AECOM as a bridge design engineer on major
highways and light rail schemes in the North West of England and Scotland.
Since completing his MSc in Structural Engineering, from the University of
Sheffield, Dev has been working with Ramboll based in their Chester bridges
section. he has been involved in a number of D&B schemes, undertaking designs
for a variety of steel and concrete composite structures.
Awards sponsored by:
Young Designers Group B
MATHEOS CHRISTOFOROU // MOTT MACDONALD
HARPREET SINGH SIDHU // COVENTRY UNIVERSITY
Bat Bridges for the Norwich Northern Distributor Road
Mutually Supported Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer Modules
Matheos Christoforou is a Chartered Structural Engineer in the BSE Division
of Mott MacDonald. He graduated in 2009 from UCL with MEng (Hons) in Civil
Engineering and was awarded the Dean’s List Award and the Institution of
Structural Engineers Past Presidents’ Prize.
Harpreet completed his BEng Civil and Structural Engineering (First-class
honours) before starting his MEng Civil Engineering in 2014. During his industrial
placement, Harpreet worked at MWH Treatment as a Site Engineer/Sub-Agent
within the water industry.
CHRISTOPHER WOOD // PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF
GEORGE SMART // AECOM
Innovation towards Effective Multidisciplinary Design Delivery
I Dream of a Bridge on the Tamar, It Opens Us Up to the East
Christopher Wood is a Chartered Engineer with a background in bridge design
on a range of multidisciplinary projects. He has spent the past two years on
secondment to TfGM, as an Engineering Project Manager within the Metrolink
Development team.
George is a civil engineer who specialises in bridge construction, assessment and
asset management.
ELEANA KARAYIANNI // TONY HOGG DESIGN LTD
During the Royal Albert Bridge project, George was based full time on site, having
a key role in the inspection and design works on the project.
JOHN HURLE // RAMBOLL
Ben Ainslie Racing Centre Fabric Facade, Portsmouth
How I Designed Octagonal Mega-Columns from First Principles
Eleana is specialising in the design, engineering and detailing of tensile fabric
structures. She has been involved in various challenging fabric roofs and facades
in the UK and abroad.
After graduating from Bristol in 2008, John spent a year working on charity projects
in India and Peru before joining Ramboll’s structural engineering department.
She completed her MEng Civil Engineering studies at University of Bristol.
He is passionate about enabling good architecture using his structural engineering
and creative problem solving skills.
Awards sponsored by:
DISCUSSION PANELLISTS
SHOULD THERE BE QUOTAS FOR WOMEN IN THE
WORKFORCE?
ANTONY OLIVER // INFRASTRUCTURE INTELLIGENCE
Antony launched Infrastructure Intelligence in January 2014, a new digitally-led
media brand from the Association for Consultancy and Engineering. Before that
he spent the last two decades immersed in the world of civil engineering and
infrastructure as a journalist with New Civil Engineer magazine where for 13 years
until November 2013 he was the editor. He is a chartered civil engineer and Fellow
of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
IS EMERGING TECHNOLOGY A RISK TO THE DESIGN
PROFESSIONAL?
PAUL LAMBERT // MOTT MACDONALD
Paul is Technical Director for Mott MacDonald. He has over 30 years’ experience
in the investigation of structural durability and degradation and in the development
of novel remedial techniques for bridges and other structures. His team are
internationally recognised for their work on cathodic protection and service life
prediction. Paul is Visiting Professor at the Centre for Infrastructure Management
at Sheffield Hallam.
Dinner
The Future of Design 2015 drinks reception will be held in the Power Hall of the Museum of Science & Industry from 18:00. The drinks reception will be followed by a three course meal in ‘Revolution Manchester’
also in the Museum of Science & Industry.
In the spirit of promoting networking, delegates that are attending the evening meal are encouraged to sit
next to someone they don’t know.
FUTURE EVENTS
AUDIENCE VOTE
Please help us reward the Young Designers by voting for the most inspiring
and engaging presentation. Simply tear out a slip with a number reflecting
presentation order and place it in the voting box provided.
1.
2.
3.
Future of Design London
1 0 / 0 9 / 2 0 1 5
IABSE
4.
conferences
Imperial College
London
5.
www.iabse.org.uk
[email protected]
Building on the success of previous
conferences, Future of Design will be
coming to London once again on
September 10th 2015.
6.
More details to be announced soon!
Image Courtesy:
Flickr Serge Bystro
NOTES
Image provided courtesy of Atelier One