Author Archives: Con Mitchell

Presentation Day

Friday was presentation day so we brought everything over to the drawing studio to set up. Each group took turns in presenting their work based on the project. It was interesting to see how everyone got on in the week and I was surprised at the diversity of designs shown throughout. We were given 12 minutes to speak and then 5 to answer questions. This was a good way of learning as it allowed people to elaborate more in certain areas which they hadn’t talked about hugely during the presentation. When it came to our presentation I feel like it went really well however we did run out of time so therefore should of time managed a bit better. However I feel like we got some good feedback and overall I was really pleased with everyone’s effort. This was a massive learning curve for me as I have never worked on a project like this before but I thoroughly enjoyed the week.

Day 1.

Day one started by being put into groups to work on a group project throughout the week. My group included me, Alex, Jennie, and the three students from hazelwick school. We was briefed on the project and what we needed to produce by Friday. This was an architectural technology project where we had to come up with a bridge design to provide a footpath for people to cross the road located at Mithras house, a scale model of the bridge, a detail as well as a poster which we would have to present on Friday. This would require a good deal of thinking with a mix of trial and error as we had such a short time and limited amount of recourses. Many things were needed to be considered during the design process:

Who was going to use the bridge? This was important because this would govern our orientation of the bridge. We all decided that it would mainly be university students that would use the bridge but we also wanted to incorporate a cycle path for cyclist as well.

Buildability? How easy would it be to build a bridge in this location? This was another key factor of the design process as the topography of the site has many different levels and we wanted to design a bridge which would be easy to build using the existing ground without having to make too many amendments. In terms of the modelling we also wanted to make a design which wouldn’t be too hard to make as we were very limited in terms of materials and tools.

We began our research into precedent studies and we all come up with some interesting examples and concept designs. Upon discussion we all decided that the helix bridge would be the best design to incorporate in our own design. I then did a concept sketch to show the orientation of the bridge and essentially what it might look like. I put forward the idea of using colour in the bridge design to draw away from the cagey look which I felt would be the outcome due to the lack of materials that we could get hold of.

For the rest of the day we experimented with materials. We first tried to shape straws in the design we have in mind. The properties of the straws meant that we couldn’t create nice round curves without the material itself folding or impairing. This lead to the quick conclusion that straw wouldn’t be a strong enough material to use for our model. We then played around with other materials such as wood and cardboard however didn’t manage create the shapes we needed of our structural elements. We then decided to think of metal materials which could be used for a scaled model. I suggested we get chicken wire and some form of metal ties. Taking this into consideration I was then able to sketch up with a step by step construction methods for our scale model of the bridge. The day was over and we all had a good understanding as to where we were heading with the project and all decided that we would commit to the helix style design.

Day 2.

The second day came and we took a trip to B&Q to pick up the materials which we needed for the project. We brought chicken wire, galvanized wire and some form of metal mesh. We then picked up some foam board and card from Mithras house. Other materials and tools where at hand already such as a PVC soil pipe, glue gun, plyers, fairy lights and so on. Once back at university, me and jenny quickly made progress on the model. As I had already come up with the methods of construction it was easy to really push forward and get the main parts of the bridge built. Using my experience on site, I knew the best way to form the chicken wire around the pipe would be to snip off the ends so that there is loads of little bars which can be hooked and tied so hold the shape which we are forming. This worked really well although it took time and effort.

Picture 1 shows a sketch diagram to show how we hooked the chicken wire back on its self.

Picture 2 shows what it looked like once finished. As you can see each join looks really neat and tidy which me and jenny was really pleased with. The day was nearly up so we set out our plan of action for the next day and we were happy with the progress we were making.

Day 3

With only two days to go we was hoping to really pull everything together on day 3. Yet again me and jenny went straight to the modelling studio and continued to make progress with the model, accompanied by the hazelwick students. We made quick progress by completing the helix pattern using the galvanized wire. We then cut the pipe 2/3rds of the way down. This give us the bottom base of the bridge. Myself and the hazelwick students continued to make the bridge. First we installed little battery powered lights into the frame work. I decided on adding colour to the bride during the design process. We decided to cut lots of triangle shapes out of a clear plastic bottle and coloured them using sharpie pens. These would then act as glass sections that portray the internal light in a different colour. We also added mesh into the remaining over top space to represent the remaining covering of which would be needed in the design. Using the glue gun we secured everything. We then got the hazelwick students to start adding a pattern on the bottom side of the pipe so that is could be sprayed later on. The day soon come to an end and by now we had the whole caged frame ready with the lights and coloured panels. All that was left to do was the deck and supporting system. Jenny took the section of the pipe home with her that day and drilled and sprayed it.

Day 4

As soon as we got in we focused on the model and getting it finished. By using bolts we were able to create the supporting legs of the model. We ties two legs together for each one as this was included in our design which Alex looked into furthers details on. Now the pipe had been sprayed everything was really starting to look good and the lights really brang the model to life. We glued the deck onto the model and it was pretty much done. me and Alex then moved onto the topography. By creating layers of cardboard we was able to create the desired levels that we needed. We used foamboard and card to face the surfaces. Jenny added little details like the labelling of the road and Mithras house. We then build little blocks out of wood to represent the foundation blocks. This now meant that the model and topography was finished. Jenny then took all our research and findings and put them all onto a poster of which she printed out in a1 form for the presentation.

Concept 1 – This is a sketch which is inspired by Nesciobrug Bridge located in Amsterdam which incorporates a split cycle and footpath. I found this example whilst doing precedent studies and really liked the design, therefore decided to sketch my interpretation of it by including the split pathways at the start of the bridge but both paths joining in the middle. The Pathways will then split back off into two ramps one leading along the road for cycle access and one across Preston barracks for pedestrian. I put forward this concept to the group and we all agreed it would be a good design and one of the candidates for our final design. Concept 2 – This concept is inspired by the peace bridge located in Georgia. I was really intrigued by the design and shapes seen in the covering over the bridge and therefore drew up my own interpretation of it showing how it would be positioned in the proposed plot for our bridge development. Again I presented this to the group and we all agreed that the design is fascinating however may be too visually intrusive and may not fit in with the surrounding environment. Perhaps something similar but on a smaller scale would be more adequate.

Concept 3 – This concept was drawn up by myself after the study of the Helix Bridge in Singapore. As a group we all really liked the design of this bridge because of the shapes and how modern/futuristic it looks. When thinking about putting this style of bridge in the proposed location I started to think would this bridge stand out or not fit in with the surrounding environment. So I started looking at local architecture and quickly saw that this type is similar to the Brighton pier which is made out of metal and is long with lots of cross pattern structures supporting itself. As a group we all decided that we would design a bridge of similar qualities to the helix bridge in Singapore. My concept shows how the bridge would be constructed and its orientation. At the foot of the bridge (Mithras house access point) there will be a slight ramp leading to the bridge. The bridge will have a combined two cycle and two footpath lanes. At the end of the bridge it shall have two ramps, one goes to Preston Barracks and one bares of towards the Watts site. Sticking with the helix theme we decided that installing lights to our model would be an added detail which will boast our design. I then went on to think of maybe incorporating different colours. I have represented this is my concept sketch.

Ponte Vecchio is open all the time, situated in the pedestrian zone south of Piazza della Repubblica. It was build very close to the roman crossing. it is also knows as Old Bridge and was the only bridge crossing the Arno river until 1218.

The structure was rebuilt after a flood in 1345 due to a flood. The bridge then went on to withstand another flood in 1966.

It is possible to document the first bridge since 966 and even its reconstruction after the flood in 1345 however, the present construction is a bit of a mystery. Even though Giorgio Vasari, an artist & chronalist from the 1500’s, attributed the bridge to Taddeo Gaddi, the construction seems to point more towards the involvement of the Dominican friars with their keen sense of proportion, harmony and use of numbers. We do know however that the bridge was built as a system of defense, and the windows and artistic elements that we can admire now were added after the shops were sold to the merchants.

There have been shops on Ponte Vecchio since the 13^th century. Initially, there were all types of shops, including butchers and fishmongers and, later, tanners, whose “industrial waste” caused a pretty rank stench in the area. In 1593, Ferdinand I decreed that only goldsmiths and jewellers be allowed to have their shops on the bridge in order to improve the wellbeing of all, including their own as they walked over the bridge.

Benvenuto Cellini, a 16^th century goldsmith, is honoured with a bust on the bridge. By night, the wooden shutters of the shops create a look like suitcases and wooden chests, making it a very suggestive route to take for an evening passeggiata, or stroll. Ponte Vecchio is a very romantic spot in Florence, with its great views over the river and of the bridge itself.