Projects shortlisted for international awards

HOLMES CONSULTING has two key projects shortlisted for high- profile, international awards which recognise cutting edge engineering design.

Airways’ Wellington air traffic control tower and Perry Bridge at Horotiu on Te Awa – The Great River Ride

– are both shortlisted for the 2018 Institution of Structural Engineering Structural Awards.

The awards will be presented at a ceremony held in central London on November 16. Past winners include the Sydney Opera House, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and the Severn Bridge which runs between South East England and South West Wales.

Completed in November last year, Perry Bridge is New Zealand’s first network arch bridge designed specifically for pedestrians and cyclists. Positioned over the Waikato River, Perry Bridge is also the longest of only four network arch bridges in the country and features mosaic artworks at each end designed by local schools based on either side. Designed by Holmes and built by Emmetts Civil Construction, the bridge is shortlisted in the Pedestrian Bridges, Construction Innovation, and Outstanding Value categories.

Airways’ Wellington air traffic control tower, designed by Studio Pacific Architecture with structural engineering from Holmes Consulting, has been shortlisted in the Extreme Conditions category. Set to open later this month, the control tower has fast gained recognition locally and beyond for its striking lean into the prevailing wind. The tower is designed to withstand high winds and natural disasters, including earthquakes and tsunamis, and will form a key element of the region’s postdisaster infrastructure.

All projects entered into the awards are judged by a panel comprising international experts in engineering, design, architecture, and construction. Projects are measured against criteria including excellence in structural design, creativity and innovation, elegance and detailing, sustainability, and value. The Institution of Structural Engineers Structural Awards, have been held for more than 50 years.