Hooke Park Design & Build Programme
Hooke Park, Dorset, UK
2013–Present
2013–Present
For many years I have been involved in the collaboration between Arup and the Architectural Association's Design + Make programme at Hooke Park, a unique environment where architecture, engineering and fabrication are brought together through hands-on experimentation with timber and other natural materials. The programme challenges students to design and construct full-scale structures while exploring innovative approaches to material use, fabrication and structural design.
Throughout this collaboration, I have provided structural engineering support to Design + Make students, helping develop and assess experimental projects from concept through to construction. Working closely with multidisciplinary teams, I have advised on structural behaviour, material efficiency, buildability and fabrication strategies, contributing to the realisation of a wide range of prototypical timber structures.
Alongside this advisory role, I have regularly participated in the Arup design-and-build workshops and competitions held at Hooke Park, collaborating with colleagues to design, engineer and construct full-scale installations. These projects provide an opportunity to explore structural ideas through making, testing concepts at one-to-one scale and gaining direct experience of construction and material behaviour.
The ongoing collaboration has been a valuable platform for investigating innovative timber structures, fostering knowledge exchange between practice and academia, and demonstrating how engineering can directly inform the design and construction of experimental architecture.
Photo credits: Architectural Association Design + Make Programme and Arup.
