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What are creative civil engineers made of?

11.11.2011

Encouraging teaching, cloud-embracing challenges, demanding and skilled teachers, a creative environment...

If you ask engineer, PhD Mike Cook from London-based Buro Happold, civil engineers can and must be creative. According to Cook, engineers will only become creative partners for architects by cooperating with them.

His message to architects is equally clear: in order for you to make something truly grand, you need engineers. Involve them in your design work from the very beginning, share your ideas with them and inspire them. Also listen to them so that you learn what is possible in building.

Cook, who leads popular two-week design courses at Imperial College London, believes that teaching has a central role in this development.

"From the very beginning, the studies of future engineers and architects should include periods that build life-long motivation and help to create the students' professional identity. Students of both engineering and architecture must encounter challenges in the real world in order for them to understand that professionals of different fields need each other."

"On the other hand, they must also understand what their role is in the design process: architects are artists and they should be allowed to design structures that challenge engineers to develop new solutions and to feel professional pride when doing so."

Cook knows what he is talking about. Since the age of eighteen, he has been part of the famous Buro Happold team and seen structures that you would not believe possible at first glance designed so that the entire process fulfils the criteria of sustainable development.

Buro Happold's list of projects includes new buildings, repaired old buildings and complementary building. The curved glass roof over the Great Court of the British Museum, a masterpiece created by engineers and architects, is one of the company's most well-known projects. Another magnificent building created by Buro Happold is the new science centre in Warsaw.

"It's not about creating 'wow' architecture, but about the joy of solving problems and professional pride," Cook says.

"Engineers are extremely important in building this world and solving its problems.
They have to be talented, intelligent and endlessly enthusiastic to solve the tiny problem of how humans will survive on this planet."

"It is worth keeping in mind that engineering skills are used and taught around the world, so it is a good idea to ensure that in addition to excelling in your own country you also compete in the world league among other talents."

Mike Cook visited Finland in October as part of the discussion on the new school of Aalto University. He had been invited by Professor Juha Paavola.

At the end of his lecture, Cook was asked to comment on the alliance between architecture and art and design.

"It is great that architects can work and develop as creative professionals. The professionals of each field, including engineers, need to find the core of their field that they want to develop, but this has to happen in cooperation with other fields, and understanding other fields is also necessary."

Text: Eeva Pitkälä