Andrés A. ’27 earned first place at the Los Angeles Regional Bridge Building Competition, advancing to the international stage with the top performance in the field.
The competition challenges engineering students to apply core principles as they design and build model bridges that maximize strength while minimizing weight. Andrés’ bridge weighed just 10 grams, about the weight of two quarters, yet carried 86 pounds. The result was an efficiency score of 3,873, a measure of strength relative to weight, and the highest in the competition. Craftsmanship and innovation were evident throughout the design, from layered gussets and the careful weighing and selection of individual wood pieces based on function to the lamination of wood in areas expected to experience high compressive forces.
The victory marks the second consecutive year Sierra Canyon has claimed the regional championship and advanced a student to the international level. Andrés now joins a select group of top finishers from regional competitions across the country, whose bridges will be tested and ranked against one another at the International Bridge Building Competition, hosted by the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. “What Andrés accomplished is a reflection of months of disciplined thinking and iteration,” said Upper School engineering instructor Matt Silvia. “He did not stumble into a great bridge—he engineered it, step by step, with a level of care and precision that is rare at the high school level.”
Back-to-back regional titles reflect an engineering program designed to challenge students to think critically and solve real-world problems. Through research, design, development, construction, and presentation, they engage in the full engineering process—building both the technical knowledge and practical experience.
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