126 127thoughts from kew gardensaluminium: sympathetic and powerful

Interview with Alex de la Chevrotière, CEO of the MAADI Group

Michael Stacey – Alex, I understand that you have come all the

way from Canada to attend this symposium. In Canada with

MAADI Group you design and fabricate all-aluminium bridges?

Alex de la Chevrotiere – Yes. But I actually do more that just

bridges, designing and fabricating all types of civil and marine

structures. All the structures are engineered by the MAADI Group

and fabricated in our workshop. We are known for all-aluminium

pedestrian bridges, because we have made so many.

facts from exemplar case studies and contemporary case studies.

MS – Thank you for taking part in today’s symposium. Are there

things you might take away to influence the future practice

of KieranTimberlake? Or issues that in your opinion need further

research?

BF – Today we discussed the way in which as architects we have

to wrestle with complex assemblies. This is a continuous discussion

over many years, may be even decades. When it comes to

paradigms of recycling, paradigms of manufacturing, designing

with materials and placing them where they make the most sense.

There definitely is an area of research that needs to be expanded

upon. Certainly people are working on this, research that begins to

match life cycle impacts with the durability of materials. We have

made a start but there is more research to be done in this field.

Our practice at KieranTimberlake is trans-disciplinary; we have

purposely set up processes in which we interrogate questions about

architecture and the built environment. Our practice is constantly

evolving. As we find new questions to ask, new methods to deploy

and new ways to make real connections between design, form

making, performance making and knowledge.

TCS Book Three Aluminium and Life Cycle Thinking begins to

evidence the way in which in-depth research, the framing of

important questions, can then be taken up and looked at and

then become actionable. For us we are interested in actionable

information and I think this is actionable.

Fig 5.19 Cellophane House at MOMA, New York, USA, 2008.

Architect KieranTimberlake

Fig 5.20 A prototype deployable military bridge, designed and fabricated in aluminium alloys by MAADI Group for the Canadian Army, 2017

MS – What is your response to visiting the Hive designed by

Wolfgang Buttress, here at Kew Gardens?

AdlC – Beautiful, for me it is a mixture of hard architecture,

science and nature, and engineering, focused on the plight of the

honeybee. It’s a beautiful project and I was delighted to meet

the artist.

128 129thoughts from kew gardensaluminium: sympathetic and powerful

Fig 5.21 46,3m welded aluminium alloy bridge, designed and fabricated by MAADI, being craned into postion, 2014, published with permission from the oil extraction comapny

MS – What is your most inspirational aluminium-based work of

architecture or product?

AdlC – It’s a good question. I have experienced many good

aluminium projects in my career, for example Mazzolani

Superdome structures. But as an engineer the aircraft structures

are a source of inspiration, they have proven that aluminium is a

structural material.

MS – Do you think the construction industry has a lot to learn from

aerospace and automotive industries, which we can transfer into

architecture and infrastructure?

AdlC – Yes, unfortunately we work in a conservative world. I think

the aircraft industry and the military bring us many developments

using aluminium, which we all can profit from. As you know, we

worked with the Canadian Army designing deployable bridges.

For the military the first price is not the key question, it is durability

and sustainability. The total cost of ownership is important to them.

Thus aluminium is the metal often selected in this context.

MS – This year you have designed and tested a rapidly deployable

bridge for the Canadian Army.

AdlC – We have been mandated by the Canadian Army to provide

a rapidly deployable bridge that can be used in earthquakes

including the one that recently hit Haiti and hurricane zones in the

Gulf of Mexico. The bridge can be delopyed in 80 minutes, without

the use of a crane. It is assembled by hand by eight troopers from

prefabricated aluminium elements. The bridge is not welded, it is

assembled using cast aluminium nodes and bolts that go through

the neutral access of each members. Thus only a few components

are needed to make a bridge.

MS – Is there renaissance in the specification of all-aluminium

pedestrian bridges and why is this the case?

AdlC – MAADI Group has been involved in the design and

assembly of bridges for many years now. Earlier in my career I had

been working for a large dock manufacturer, fabricating large

structural aluminium gangways. Aluminium has proved to be an

outstanding material, even in a salty, humid marine environment.

We should be prompting the use of aluminium, it is a material for

the future. It lasts forever.

MS – Thank you for taking part in today’s symposium. Are there

things you heard or learnt that may to influence the future practice

of your company?

AdlC – I have met very nice people. I would congratulate you on

your book Aluminium: Flexible and Light. This was a missing ‘piece’

in my field and now we have a book that shows creativity in the

use of aluminium, not just by engineers but also architects and

designers. This series of books will open the minds and creativity of

many people. I have met many very interesting people and for me

this is the start of a long collaboration.

MS – Merci beaucoup, Alex.

AdlC – Thank you, Michael.

130 131thoughts from kew gardensaluminium: sympathetic and powerful

Fig 5.21 Canadian Army Tactical Bridge, 2020, designed and fabricated by MAADI Group. Deployable in 4 meter modules up to 24 meters