Paul Cocksedge Studio’s First Project in SA

WORDS Amelia Brown RENDERS Paul Cocksedge Studio

During Design Indaba 2020, British designer Paul Cocksedge announced a new community-focused project he’s working on in Cape Town in collaboration with Design Indaba, local timber construction company XLAM, and engineering consultancy WSP.

Titled the “Exploding Bridge”, it’s the studio’s first bridge design and will span the Upper Liesbeek River in Cape Town. It will be constructed using cross-laminated timber, a more sustainable alternative to building materials such as a steel and concrete and an opportunity for the studio to continue to explore the use of wood, following on from Please Be Seated, a landmark commission for London Design Festival and British Land in 2019. The timber will be harvested from the invasive eucalyptus trees, further offsetting the negative impact.

At present, people have to cross the river on stones, which limits access for members of the community who are less mobile and means the connection between the banks is broken when the river floods. “The Upper Liesbeek River Garden is a beautiful place for the community to come and enjoy nature,” explains Paul. ” The idea for the bridge happened when we started talking about cutting down the invasive eucalyptus trees and then taking that wood and building the bridge. It’s an important symbol and a way to talk about energy, consumption and how we create structures that are in harmony with nature.”

The bridge is still in the development stage and the studio is working with engineers Leon Ras and Sebastian Dockter from WSP and building company XLAM, which specialises in creating CLT panels, a technology that was new to Paul. “Head deep in the project, I realised its potential for construction. CLT is much more eco-friendly, and we hope this bridge is a way of starting a discussion around how we can use timber in an innovative way, while still maintaining the environment.” It will be the first 100% CLT structure in the area.

As for the design, the goal was for the bridge to embody motion. “We wanted to create something that didn’t feel static. We were thinking about stacks of wood and what these would look like if they expanded outwards to create a blur of timber,” says Paul. “The final bridge is not just a crossing: The lines of timber come together to create seats, so there are lots of pause moments for people to enjoy the beautiful views.”

View more projects by the studio at paulcocksedgestudio.com and follow Paul on Instagram (@paulcocksedge).