UK triumphs at global structural engineering awards

AKT II and Atelier One jointly-receive The Supreme Award for Structural Excellence, in a hotly contested year.

Today, the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) announces the winners of the Structural Awards 2022.

Judged according to a new set of attributes, focusing on sustainability, social impact, innovation and ingenuity, this year’s awards reflect IStructE’s increasing focus on the societal and environmental role of structural engineers.

The 2022 Supreme Award for Structural Excellence was jointly awarded to AKT II and Atelier One.

When deciding on the winners of this prestigious accolade the judges were unanimous in their feeling that both practices, and the projects they entered, showcased exceptional engineering skill and accomplishment.

HYLO (AKT II, The Supreme Award for Structural Excellence)

AKT II was recognised for its work on London’s HYLO building, which tested the skill and problem solving abilities of the engineers involved. A challenging brief from the outset, the project required a new 13-storey building to be added to an existing 16-storey one. Ultimately, success was achieved through cleverly harnessing the strength of the existing frame and foundation to bear the load of the new structure, delivering significant carbon savings with minimal intervention.  In the judges’ words: ‘A brilliant example of structural retrofit.’

The Arc Gymnasium (Atelier One, The Supreme Award for Structural Excellence)

Sharing the accolade, Atelier One were singled out for their work on The Arc Gymnasium at Green School in Indonesia. A breathtakingly elegant structure, the judges were impressed by the project’s use of local, low-carbon materials, innovative technology and creativity to produce an impressive and eye-catching building. Particularly, the judges praised its ability to showcase the use of natural materials throughout, making a clear case for this type of specification. As they highlighted, ‘This is a marvellous demonstration of artistry, tech know-how and net zero construction’.

Beyond the Supreme Award, eight other shortlisted projects were awarded a 2022 prize, chosen for their contribution to a more holistically sustainable approach to structural engineering.

Winners included a number of renowned practices, including: Arup, Webb Yates Engineers, Eckersley O’Callaghan, BECA, Schlaich Bergermann Partner, Heyne Tillett Steel, StructureCraft and China Architecture Design & Research Group and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

A full list of these firms, and their winning projects, as well as the judges’ comments, can be found here.

The UK saw three other projects, aside from HYLO, takes home awards: One Triton Square, (Arup; Planet, Profession), London South Bank University – London Road Building (Eckersley O’Callaghan; Planet) and The Gramophone Works (Heyne Tillett Steel; Planet, Profession).

One Triton Square, (Arup; Planet, Profession)

London South Bank University – London Road Building (Eckersley O’Callaghan; Planet)

The Gramophone Works (Heyne Tillett Steel; Planet, Profession)

All were lauded for their commitment to low environmental impact structural solutions, from design specification through to embracing circular economy principles throughout the build.

Commenting on this year’s landmark programme, chair of the judges, Prof. Tim Ibell says, “We’ve seen a truly remarkable set of submissions this year and I’m hugely encouraged, not only by the calibre of entries but how structural engineers worldwide are stepping up to the huge social, economic and environmental challenges society currently faces.”

“The winning projects perfectly encapsulate our new guiding attributes of Planet, People, Process and Profession and should serve as an example to the entire global construction sector. I was delighted to see a record number of retrofit projects in this year’s awards and hope it sparks a trend going forwards, where the focus on repurpose and reuse, over new build, is prioritised. This will demonstrate how, in addition to safeguarding the public within the built environment, we are also protecting the planet.”

The winners were announced last Friday at a gala awards ceremony at The Brewery, London. A complete list can be viewed here.