The winners of Wood WORKS! BC 2014 Wood Design Awards have been announced and Banff’s Bow River Bridge has been awarded the Engineer Award.
“Gerald Epp, of Fast + Epp Structural Engineers, known and respected internationally and whose name is synonymous with innovative engineering solutions, was the recipient of the Engineer Award. His project, the Bow River Bridge in Banff, Alberta, is one of the longest timber bridges of its kind. This beautiful structure was carefully designed, given the highly visible and historically significant location, and through design and construction detailing, thoroughly addressed durability and longevity. The Town of Banff desired natural materials for environmental and aesthetic reasons, and timber was the chosen material.” Read more about the awards in Canadian Architect
The bridge was built one year ago, almost to the day. Watch a time lapse video of the bridge’s installation.
PFS Studio’s role in the Bow River Bridge
PFS Studio was part of the successful team to be awarded the Banff Pedestrian Project through a Township led competition process.
Beyond the need to site a landmark structure within the world renowned Banff National Park, PFS Studio was tasked with integrating the existing pedestrian and cyclist pathways that run throughout the town and park with the new crossing points at the proposed bridge, creating a continuous, safe network of walking, cycling, and cross-country ski routes.
The environmental factors involved in successfully locating this new structure were considerable, as the Bow River is a high value riparian environment that is the central feature to the natural setting of the Town of Banff. PFS provided design and construction strategies to address both in-stream and riparian conditions as well as effective integration into the surrounding upland environment. Best management practices established for the Banff National Park for wildlife movement and other environmental objectives were considered as well as the regulations and guidelines of involved regulatory agencies.
Working closely with the Township, the design team was diligent in selecting the appropriate materials and detailing the finishes to complement and enhance the adjacent existing bridge and scenic surroundings.
Photos by StructureCraft Builders Inc.