Undergraduate Prize 2020: a bamboo structure for rural Bangladesh

Author: Claire Lewis, Tobias Ng, Maria Valderrabano, Samuel Wright

Date published

19 March 2021

Price
Free
Back to Previous

Undergraduate Prize 2020: a bamboo structure for rural Bangladesh

Case Study

Author

Claire Lewis, Tobias Ng, Maria Valderrabano, Samuel Wright

Date published

19 March 2021

Author

Claire Lewis, Tobias Ng, Maria Valderrabano, Samuel Wright

Price

Free

The 2020 prize-winning team present their response to the competition brief.

Undergraduate Prize 2020 winners


The Undergraduate Prize is awarded to an undergraduate, or team of undergraduates, studying civil or structural engineering. The 2020 brief was to design a sustainable habitat for coastal communities from Least Developed Countries who face the prospect of rising sea levels due to climate change.
 
Design considerations included housing, work areas, places of assembly, drainage and sanitation. These challenges reflect the issues faced by governments and NGOs across the world.
 
The 2020 prize has been awarded to a team from the University of Bath.
 
Tobias Ng, Maria Valderrabano and Samuel Wright designed an innovative hexagonal lattice and joint system for a community in rural Bangladesh.

In this presentation, introduced by YSEIDC judge Claire Lewis, the team introduce their award-winning proposal.
 
Their bamboo structure offers a flexible, sustainable solution to the design brief. 

The University of Bath have also produced a case study about the winning project.

 

About YSEIDC


The Young Structural Engineers International Design Competition (YSEIDC) challenges young engineers from around the world to test their ingenuity, imagination and inventiveness. They are encouraged to apply their design skills to solve a engineering problem.
 
The competition is held every three years.

 


 

Undergraduate Prize 2020

Related Resources & Events

Course
A building undergoing demolition

Demolition and structural refurbishment - October 2026

Demolition and structural refurbishment - October 2026

This course provides guidance on specific aspects of demolition and refurbishment from an engineering perspective, while addressing safety, environmental and sustainability influences.
Date – 6 October 2026
Location – 47-58 Bastwick St, London, EC1V 3PS
Price – £315 - £465 + VAT
Ceremony
A hazy sunrise over a city skyline with silhouettes of buildings and trees under a cloudy sky.

Structural India Awards 2026 ceremony

Structural India Awards 2026 ceremony

Celebrating breakthrough student academic research and outstanding industry achievement across India’s structural engineering community.
Date – 8 October 2026
Location – Venue near Hebbal, Bengaluru
Price – Free
Regional

Heather Alpha: the decommissioning story

Heather Alpha: the decommissioning story

The presentation will cover the decommissioning story of Heather Alpha.
Date – 8 October 2026
Location – Sandman Signature Aberdeen Hotel & Spa
Price – Free