IDEA StatiCa UK celebrates nine years of sponsoring the IStructE Structural Awards
IDEA StatiCa UK was proud to sponsor The Institution of Structural Engineers’ Structural Awards for the ninth year. The awards have always been a special occasion for the profession, and this year was no exception. The new venue added an extra touch of glamour as the engineering community came together to celebrate the year’s outstanding projects and the teams behind them.
After many years at the same venue, the Structural Awards moved to a new home for 2026. The change of setting brought an extra touch of glamour to the evening as the engineering community came together to celebrate outstanding projects and the people behind them.
A highlight for us was seeing our Technical Manager, Costis Hatzopoulos, take to the stage to present a Structural Award to the team behind the Barbados National Performing Arts Centre, with structural design by StructureCraft.
Recognising ingenuity in timber engineering
Created for the Caribbean Festival of Arts, the pavilion needed to offer a large, open performance space while withstanding hurricane-force winds. At the heart of the design is a 24-metre timber truss. The engineers configured it to maximise compression, allowing them to use traditional timber joinery throughout the primary structure and reduce reliance on steel connections.
The judges recognised how the team worked within a demanding programme and adapted to constraints on materials and logistics. The timber connections reduced the need for imported materials, while training local tradespeople helped build skills for future timber projects. The team also designed the pavilion so it could be reconfigured or reused as needs change.
Read more about the Barbados National Performing Arts Centre on the IStructE website
Celebrating the people behind the projects
One of the things we value most about the Structural Awards is hearing how teams arrived at their designs. The Barbados pavilion shows how closely engineering and construction decisions are linked, from the way forces travel through the truss to the skills and materials available on site.
Congratulations to StructureCraft and the wider project team, as well as all this year’s winners and shortlisted teams.
Thank you to The Institution of Structural Engineers for bringing the profession together for another memorable evening.