Simple Works was founded to focus on the communities we build and work for and the environment we live in. We are structural engineers who enjoy working with others to achieve simple solutions to complex problems. Our particular focus is on public projects with community at their heart, and timber and low embodied carbon construction. We care who we are designing for and have extensive community engagement experience.

www.scalerule.orgScale Rule are a collective of engineers and architects who like teaching, designing and building. We run free engineering and architecture workshops to design and build community installations, focusing on students from unconventional construction industry backgrounds. We also participate in small community built environment competitions.As individuals in partnership with our employer we also teach and conduct research at architecture and engineering universities in the UK.

One Nine ElmsLocation: LondonYear completed: In constructionClient: R&F PropertiesArchitect: KPF, RSAWider team: AKT II, Sweco, YuandaA multi-use scheme designed by KPF, One Nine Elms will provide an urban oasis just off the river bank with residential and commercial units as well as a new public square with shops and cafes. The two towers will house almost 490 apartments, a four star hotel designed by RSA and over 6,500 m² of high quality office space. Residents will enjoy a private winter garden and communal facilities. The site was previously occupied by two towers with piled raft foundations which were mostly demolished before construction began. A large victorian sewer runs through the site and is a main Thames Water outfall to the Thames. It cuts under the corner of one of the new towers which was designed to transfer across. Due to the potential for the towers to move in different directions, stability was an issue in the design. Concrete frame construction was adopted for its acoustic properties, post tensioned to provide the thinnest solution. To reduce column cross-sections we designed embedded steelwork. Taking advice from specialist wind consultants who provided performance criteria, we then undertook feasibility exercises on several different strengthening systems. These included modifications to cladding and increasing the core dimensions, but to reduce the impact on internal layouts, outriggers were selected.

Al Fayah ParkLocation: Abu DhabiYear completed: UnbuiltClient: Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan FoundationArchitect: Heatherwick StudioWorking within the Parametric Applied Research Team (p.art). Creating a comfortable, open park in a country where temperatures can often exceed 40 degrees celsius presents a number of challenges. Therefore when tasked with creating a new park in Abu Dhabi to replace an existing, European style grass covered space the architects thought well and truly outside the box. To create a space comfortable enough for people to enjoy all year round, it was quickly realised, would require a covering of some sort, protecting people during the summer months from the fierce sun. However, on this project rather than build up from the existing level it was decided to sink the new park below the existing surface level, creating a tropical oasis below. The covering to the park space was designed to resemble a series of islands in the desert, much akin to the cracking of mud as it dries out in the sun. These islands could be walked on creating asecond level to the park.It was intended that the ‘island’ structures would be constructed from steel frames linked to one another, these would then be sprayed with concrete to create an organic, textured surface which was more tactile and in-keeping with the environment. The high water table and corrosive groundwater presented a number of challenges to the design team, such as buoyancy of the structure and risk of liquefaction due to seismic activity.http://www.heatherwick.com/project/al-fayah-park/https://www.dezeen.com/2014/04/23/thomas-heatherwick-unveils-sunken-oasis-for-abu-dhabi/

6 Pancras SquareLocation: LondonYear completed: 2015Client: AXA Real EstateArchitect: Wilmotte & Associés, Adamson AssociatesWider team: AKT II, Hoare Lea, Confluence, Aecom, Reef Associates, Buro Happold, GleedsThe redevelopment of King’s Cross has set a new standard in the implementation of masterplanning projects. At the heart of the site sits 6 Pancras Square, situated on the site of a former gas works and gas holder. The building itself features two levels of basement. Above this a steel frame has been employed to provide long spans for efficient and flexible workspaces, minimising structural zones to maximise clear headrooms for the office environment. The long-spans however, had the drawback of making the building more susceptible to human induced vibrations. Therefore detailed analysis was carried out to ensure the building complied with the stringent comfort levels imposed by the client.Considerable time and thought was invested in considering how the building sat in its surroundings which includes Grade I listed structures of King’s Cross and St Pancras stations and Grade II listed German Gymnasium and the Stanley Building South. Sitting in the King’s Cross Conservation Area, it was felt that the building should fit in with the robust and simple structures around it. The terracotta cladding is a stark contrast to the rest of the glazed panels and has been inspired byVictorian industrial architecture.The high pressure Thames Water Main Ring runs under the site and detailed geotechnical analysis was required to gain Thames Water approval to go ahead with the works. We modelled the effects of site clearance, excavation, piling works and construction sequence to demonstrate that the works would not impact the functionality of the water main.http://www.wilmotte.com/en/project/122/Kings-Cross-Centralhttps://www.businessinsider.com/googles-new-11-storey-office-in-londons-kings-cross-2016-6?r=US&IR=T

Five month work placement in the Highway department of Arup, Dublin.