Griffith University: Architecture students boldly reimagine Kangaroo Point Green Bridge
Griffith School of Engineering and Built Environment students have reimagined the real-life Kangaroo Point Green Bridge project for an intense 12-week design challenge to turn their idea into something that could be constructed.
Over 70 Bachelor of Architectural Design students created and communicated their vision to guest judges from Archipelago Architects, KIRK, COX Architects, the firm which worked on the actual project and Brisbane City Council.
Griffith lecturers challenged students to design the bridge with a subtropical landscape connecting Kangaroo Point to Brisbane’s CBD and included an amphitheatre, public lookout points and space for commercial tenancies as part of their design proposal.
Bachelor of Architecture Design student Janavi Munci was inspired by the shape of the Brisbane River.
Bachelor of Architecture Design student Janavi Munci, who wants to design tiny houses in the future, says she thought hard about what her design could add to the Brisbane landscape.
“After visiting the site, I had to think about how to fit my bridge within the existing landscape and how to integrate each landing point as well,” she said.
“I was inspired by the macro view of Brisbane, where the river weaves in and out to connect green and urban spaces.”
Guest judge Dominic Powell from Archipelago Architects, who was involved in the Home of the Arts Green Bridge across the Nerang River, says he was impressed with the quality of student’s work.
“Everyone had really strong ideas across the board and different ways of expressing it. They had a strong story to tell about their proposals and an underpinning idea of how their urban connector could be a real legacy for Brisbane.”
Bachelor of Architecture Design student Alix Potter says designing to a real project brief pushed her design skills.
“Having to design something that’s grounded in reality, while also having no budgetary limits on your creativity is liberating. Getting to work on this scale, which is bigger than any of our past projects, you have to think, will this stand up and not fall into the river,” she said.
Bachelor of Architecture Design Jack Post says Griffith University encourages its students to improve every day.
Fellow student Jack Post agrees saying working on his proposal helped deepen his knowledge of public infrastructure and the needs of the people who use public spaces.
“We had a lecture where we went through the actual proposal and it opened my eyes to landings and how people actually get on to the bridge. You gain so much knowledge from working on this massive project over a trimester,” he said.
“I think this is what Griffith University offers students, everyone here encourages you to improve every day and to refine your ideas from the creative and structural side in realistic settings. While connecting you to working architects to give you insights and feedback into your work.”