Prescribing Bridge Architecture for Social Resilience

Communities can have the most beautiful buildings and parks, but if their infrastructure continues to be designed in the often misquoted “form ever follows function” mentality, it will always be the weakest link of any city. Shouldn’t we start investing in the beauty of our cities for future generations? Is beauty not also a function that can have a profound return on investment to the surrounding communities?

This paper explores how we can prescribe language in RFPs, which integrate aesthetics and bridge architects efficiently within infrastructure projects, so aesthetics can be implemented while cost be greatly minimized. Today, aesthetics should no longer be an option. It should be required on any bridge project that has visibility and should not be limited to reveals and ornamental railings. Rather it should blend within the project so seamlessly that it becomes integral to the structure. When successful it resonates through communities, regions, and countries. It brings people closer towards a common goal, a common agreement. Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder but in the eye of the masses. By creating collaborative environments between engineers, architects, and builders we will be able to work together as a team towards a common goal where we can design and build socially responsible, successful and everlasting bridges for our cities.