Fortunately there was no risk to the public purse when visiting Structural Engineers from Cambridge came to Bridgwater to check local bridges, as all the structures were made from bamboo canes and the architectural engineers were eighty Y7 students attending Chilton Trinity Technology College. The practical workshops were a hands-on opportunity for students to investigate why bridges are designed the way they are and why certain mathematical shapes are used. The workshop was run by a member of the Architecture Workshop, Cambridge, (funded via an Enrichment and Enhancement Grant from the Royal Institution of Great Britain) with Mathematics teacher Peter Cammish on hand during the two 2 hour sessions to help advise and encourage, although in most cases each team of students were quite happy to solve the issues and problems for themselves! “Working in teams, there was a healthy competitive edge to design the strongest, tallest and most beautiful bridge structure. The problem solving showed by all teams was excellent, with some very interesting designs. In the event the competition was won by the team named after famous architect Norman Foster, although all had fun and learnt something about bridges and design”

Director of Specialism, Paul Cadmore who organised the day with the Architecture Workshop was enthusiastic about the outcomes: “Students always enjoy opportunities to work with external experts, and it was a rewarding experience for everyone involved; discovering the mathematical and scientific aspects connected with every-day structures we tend to take for granted was a real eye-opener for these young students. Our visitors also enjoyed their time here at Chilton and complemented the students on their commitment to the project in the limited time available.”