Bridges are an integral part of the urban infrastructure, spanning water, valleys, roads and railway lines to provide safe access for pedestrians and cyclists and allow the smooth flow of cars and public transport. They can be an important feature of regeneration schemes, overcoming barriers and site constraints to maximise social interaction and bring separated communities closer together.

Buro Happold is among the acknowledged leaders in bridge design, having built up a reputation for expert engineering skills and creative flair on a large number of high level projects worldwide. Our familiarity with the design process and our experience of liaising with local authorities, agencies, architects and contractors ensure that projects are successfully progressed from concept through to completion.

New bridge design is dictated by its intended purpose, its location and the predicted loading on its structure.  Many of our most exciting and innovative designs are for footbridges, which can have a big impact on the urban landscape due to their high visibility and frequent use. Our designers use the latest techniques and materials to build slimmer, lighter more aesthetic structures that help to create a unique ‘sense of place’.

Our experience covers light span pedestrian bridges, steel and concrete road and highway bridges, rail bridges and temporary bridges. Commissions are undertaken for a variety of clients worldwide in both the public and private sectors. On every project we aim for an elegant and economical solution that meets the demands of the development and the aspirations of our client. 

When appropriate, cost and construction efficiencies can be achieved by prefabricating some structural elements of a bridge, enabling it to be transported quickly to any location and tailored to local needs or even specific events. Our bridge team can also deliver integrated solutions, such as the design of link bridges between buildings that may require a glazed facade and building services engineering input.