Tuesday 26 July 2016
STUDENT designs for a futuristic bridge over the Irwell so impressed planners at Salford City Council, they’re considering building it.
A new link bridge between Peel Park and The Crescent (A6) has been on the drawing board for some time as part of the city’s vision to connect communities and improve quality of life.
Now graduates Raviv Dozetas, Jibran Hussain, Danila Shurinov and Hassan Sohail, from the School of the Built Environment, have put their own vision under the planners’ noses – and they like what they see.
Raviv, who is part of the team who graduate on Wednesday, said: “We wanted a landmark design that is instantly recognisable, employs the latest construction technologies and is not merely a pass over water but a link between old and new.”
Industry prize
Designed with strobes of light beaming from it, so that it can be seen night from distance, the suspension bridge takes inspiration from MediaCityUK and the legendary Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
The undergraduates looked at many factors from the depth of the river, and how the bridge could be supported at road side, to aspects of the park and how it could be transformed by the new access.
As well as winning plaudits from the City, which says it will consider incorporating elements of the design, it has won the group the annual Hays Prize for the best final-year research project from the School of Built Environment.
Raviv, from South Africa, added: “We are very proud to have won this award. We are delighted to have been recognised for our work and it’s always good to see that people are looking for British talent and world class designs in what is a very competitive market these days, as property becomes the driving force in today’s economy.
Top 3 in country
The father-of-seven, who is considering a Masters degree, says he chose Salford because it is in the in top 3 in the country for his subject: ”The faculty is brilliantly well run, it provides students with the resources to put their ideas in to practice and teaches you a wide variety of skills.
They team used Business Information Modelling to collectively design the bridge.
Raviv Dozetas, 37, graduates from the Building Surveying degree, Danila, 21, from Edinburgh studied Architectural Design & Technology; Jibran Hussain, 22, from Nelson, Lancashire, graduates in Civil and Architectural Engineering; Hassan Sohail, 24, from Gatley, Cheshire, graduates form Architectural Design & Technology.
Lecturer Mark Alston said: “The guys have done brilliantly well as the entire student cohort fully engaged with the project brief. Industry partners Romboll Structural Bridge Engineering and Salford City Planning helped make this this module a wonderful experience for all.
Team approach
“Raviv and the team worked incredibly hard in the development of their concept ideas and the resulting bridge design is a true reflection of an effective team approach to produce an innovative solution to real world constraints.”
The £200 Hays Property Prize is awarded by Hays Construction & Property, part of the leading recruitment consultancy to the Built Environment in the UK, supplying architectural practices, building surveying and quantity surveying firms, as well as public-sector and multi-disciplinary organisations.
Johnny Hughes, Recruitment Consultant at Hays, said: “Congratulations to the group. It’s an incredibly exciting time to be starting your career within construction and property and I would fully encourage graduates to register with Hays. I hope we can build a lasting relationship where we can assist you in finding a job which will allow you to flourish.”