Study: Infrastructural Sustainability, Focus on Bridge Projects
Carried out by UNStudio’s Sustainability Platform, this study presents a compilation and analysis of sustainable aspects of infrastructural projects designed by UNStudio, namely bridges. In addition to providing useful insight and knowledge, this document serves as a reference point for introducing different sustainable methods in infrastructure projects.
The following text is an extract from the full document, which you can download here as a PDF.
UNStudio’s portfolio of bridge designs contains diverse approaches to attainable design, referring to social, structural and environmental sustainability achieved by economical, efficient means.
A central aim of bridge design is to draw on the qualities found in the location of the bridge in order to ensure the most convenient and natural flows between its connection points. Conditions of the topography and accessibility requirements are carefully integrated, facilitating ease of use for users and unimpeded, optimised circulation.
Close collaboration between architect and engineer is essential to ensure an integrated design solution with regard to materiality. The industrial nature of the bridge typology allows for tectonic expression, articulated joints and a pragmatic use of materials for efficient structural principle and method of assembly.
Sustainable bridge designs make a positive impact on the environment. Enhancing public transport connectivity, providing functional and attractive bicycle and pedestrian connections and creating a green landscape design amidst the infrastructure, all greatly reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions on-site. The planning and programming for the bridge must also have strong organisational principles, as well as the ability to adapt to changing needs, allowing the design to be sustainable over a long period of time.
UNStudio Team: Valentin Goetze, Milena Stopic, Jay Tsai, Marc Hoppermann, Sontaya Bluangtook, Martin Zangerl, Kris Kil, Ger Gijzen, Astrid Piber, Cristina Bolis