Structural engineering education for families
We had five engineers help deliver events for Open House Families at the Here East hub, running two activities:
Our cardboard pavilion activity showcased the fundamentals of parametric design and how modern structural engineers use computational tools to realise complex forms through digital fabrication.
Our straw tower building challenge pit families against each other to see who could create the tallest tower capable of supporting a marble.
The activities were designed to help families understand the fundamentals of structural engineering and how technology allows modern engineers to achieve new architectural forms.
The engineering behind London
We have supported Open House for the last fourteen years - it is a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile, not just of London’s incredible skyline and architecture, but the engineering behind them.
Elliott Wood plays a big part engineering London, employing over 100 in the London area, working on high profile and groundbreaking projects like Ortus, The Ned, The Old War Office and the Pump House Pavilion in Battersea Park.
Bridging the gap
Events like Open House Families let us bridge the gap between school and real-world design solutions: engineers can link textbook STEM and art to buildings and structures that young people interact with on a daily basis.
The intricacies and creativity behind a structure can often be lost behind the beauty of the surface and so the contribution of engineers is not always fully understood. For us engineering is about lateral thinking and realising the unexpected just as much as making an architectural design work.
Open House Families Structure