The Bridge for John Fairey is an homage to a great professor and plantsman who cultivated a beautiful garden as well as a passion for design that he instilled in many of the students he taught.

The inspiration for the form and structure of the footbridge comes from nature.  Like a leaf, this bridge incorporates dynamic curvature and vectors of force within one coordinated expression.  Nothing is extraneous and nothing can be removed, a true minimal structure.  It narrows in the center and widens at the ends which corresponds to axial connections and lines of sight to John’s house and the continuation of the garden to the north.  This gesture also concentrates material at the ends where the reaction forces are most concentrated and lightens it in the midspan for maximum efficiency.  It is a hybrid system, combining a compression arch with a Vierendeel truss. The bridge is designed to be transparent to the water that flows through it when the creek periodically overflows during flash flood events.

The vibrant colors on the guardrail are a reference to the blooming flowers and autumnal foliage that we can encounter when visiting this garden throughout the seasons and in John’s own design of the architectural features he placed throughout the garden.