What started off as an idea will soon be converted into reality for Cape Town. Spearheaded and commissioned by Design Indaba, multidisciplinary British designer Paul Cocksedge is working with a local team on his first ever South African project – a fully sustainable ‘Exploded View’ Bridge is being developed in collaboration with Design Indaba, WSP and building company XLAM. It will be developed with permanent timber and will be positioned across a river in Cape Town
“It has been incredibly exciting working with the team at Design Indaba and with the design community in South Africa, which has been the first for myself and my team,” says Cocksedge.“This bridge is a relatively simple visual gesture, but it addresses important issues around our environment, and how we can innovate with CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) to create new structures.”
Described as a “human-centric pedestrian crossing” the bridge will transform a River Garden into a more accessible leisure space. It will be made from the invasive Eucalyptus tree wood, which was chosen for its remarkable characteristics. This wood is termite resitant, can withstand time and can even stay in wet environments for 10 years without any decay. It has become one of the most desirable tree woods to be used in construction.
The bridge with the eucalyptus wood will uplift a river in Cape Town, which will be sure to attract even more residents in the community.
This project is part of Design Indaba's Do Tank which consists of projects and initiatives designed for the greater good. The Design Indaba Do Tank is largely funded by the Design Indaba Trust and independent sponsorships.
View our Do Tank projects here: https://www.designindaba.com/projects
