Student’s success at ArchEng Workshop
Victoria University of Wellington architecture student Simon Gourley, was recognised by industry professional judges at the recent ArchEng Workshop for his project aimed at enhancing the Wellington waterfront.
The three-day workshop hosted by Victoria University aims to promote collaboration between architecture and engineering, two critical disciplines in the construction sector.
Simon partnered with Ashley Jones, an engineering student from The University of Auckland, to devise a proposal for a floating walkway extending 150 metres into Wellington Harbour from Frank Kitts Park.
“We decided that the walkway needed to reflect the key characteristics of Wellington, particularly the wind,” says Simon. “For this reason it was felt that the walkway should be movable, with the shape and form reflecting the wind conditions.”
A comment from the panel of judges—which included Victoria University alumnus Nick Mouat, from Athfield Architects—was that the pair’s proposal “demonstrated a deep collaboration between the two disciplines over the three days and this is what the judges were looking for”.
The workshop began as an initiative of the Cement & Concrete Association of New Zealand (CCANZ) in 2012.
Final year architecture and engineering students are selected by their universities to participate in the workshop. This year, four Victoria University students took part.