Author: DanBergsagel

Scale Rule x New York!

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We are more than a little excited to have received support from a bewildering set of acronyms the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Futures Fund for our proposal to pilot an adaptation of the Next Generation Design workshops and design-build pavilions in NYC and Long Island in 2022 – Building the Next Engineers!

We will be partnering with Hofstra University and the Segal Structures Group as well as engineering and architecture firms in NYC to develop and deliver a workshops and design-build of a pavilion next summer.

Watch. This. Space.

The Anthropobscene transmogrified!

Education, Pavilion Project

We at Scale Rule were delighted to see Anthropobscene – Next Generation Design 2020 pavilion take a further step from it’s digital reveal into the real world at COP26 in Glasgow.

Grimshaw Architects (big respect to Mr Andy Watts, in particular), Price and Myers and Sir Robert McAlpine helped deliver the original design by the students at Harris Boys’ Academy East Dulwich expertly, and there is a very nice and informative press-release about it all here.

I couldn’t think of a better concept behind a pavilion at COP26 than one which was so overtly symbolizing the irreversible changes to the planet caused by humans. Ripping apart a big timber representation of the earth with imaginary clawing hands is about as overt as you can really get (beyond torching the pavilion while it is still full of people, or similar…)

The Anthropobscene is here (digitally)!

Education, Next Generation Design

The domed structure represents a deconstructed planet; formed, fractured and reconfigured from geometric timber segments. When approaching the pavilion a complete dome is visible, but as viewing angles adjust and shift the viewer uncovers a configuration of concave plate modules pulled apart. The dome fragments are positioned to frame views out to its surroundings and enable movement through the pavilion itself.

The pavilion celebrates sustainability through its modular production methods, recycled materials and future re‐use; whilst encouraging people to rest and socialise within its bounds with a series of modular seats reflecting the structure of the dome.

In an uncanny mirror of the world we live in the tragic results of our real and obscene anthropocene brought us a highly contagious lethal pandemic, which made the traditional physical construction of a Next Generation Design pavilion challenging this year.

However, do not fear! In collaboration with the wonderful XR developers at Grimshaw the pavilion was created as both a virtual and augmented reality composition which can be explored online. The pavilion can be experienced anywhere using the instagram filter to drop it into your surroundings and move around as if in real life.

Will there be a Next Generation?

Education, Next Generation Design

As the world as we know it crumbles before our eyes, how prescient do the themes behind this year’s pavilion sound?

Tackling the global climate crisis and human influence as the root cause of unprecedented damage, this pavilion showing our home being split apart by the society that we fostered seems pretty spot on.

Fingers-crossed London is still here to build it.

2020 Press Image

Are we getting old?

Research

No! We’re staying relevant. Or, at least, we’re telling everyone that we are.

Phil and Dan wrote an article called “Staying Relevant – new ways to assess engineering aptitude” for the Institution of Structural Engineers’ Journal about Future Trends in Structural Engineering, to make sure that everyone knows how relevant we really are. You can find the article here for free if you’re a member of the IStructE,  and at the princely sum of £9+VAT if you are not.*

Here is a nice picture from our article:

Staying Relevant - figures

*If you are not a member, email us and we can discuss give you a brief synopsis of our relevance.

Awards Season

Education, Next Generation Design

This year there has been some fuss over The Supreme Award for Structural Engineering, or The Award for Structural Artistry – connoisseurs of engineering know that the real IStructE award of note is the Arts and Entertainment Structures Award.

Thus and so, it is with much excitement and fanfare that we send our congratulations to the Nottingham team of Next Generation Design Scale Rulers, who are the proud recipients of the 2019 Arts and Entertainment Structures Award from the IStructE Midlands regional group.

Structural Engineering Awards 2019