Turning a bridge into a civic amenity
Hybrid Bridge proposes a multilevel, mixed-use bridge across the Upper Kebena River in the Kazanchis neighborhood of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The seven-acre academic project includes a public market, residential uses, and connections to the riverfront from the surrounding neighborhoods. The 2026 Charter Awards jury recognized Hybrid Bridge with a Student Merit Award in the Block, Street, and Building category.
The proposal reframes a bridge as multi-level civic infrastructure: an inhabited, programmatic structure that combines pedestrian mobility, flood adaptation, re-housing, and public amenities within one architectural armature, according to the Alec Paulson, of the Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment. “Rather than a thin span designed only for movement, Hybrid Bridge acts as both connector and destination—linking streets on both banks while providing continuous access down to river level through ramps and branching circulation.”
Hybrid Bridge advances the Charter of the New Urbanism by demonstrating how a single piece of essential infrastructure can shape walkable, mixed-use, and resilient urban place at the scale of the block, street, and building, Paulson explains.
Hybrid Bridge: A Multi-Level Civic Infrastructure for the Upper Kebena River
- Addis Ababa River City Research Project, Tulane School of Architecture and Built Environment, Principal firm
- Alec Paulson, Student author
- Ruben Garcia Rubio, Faculty advisor
2026 CNU Charter Awards Jury
- Eric Kronberg (chair), Principal, Kronberg Urbanists + Architects in Atlanta, GA
- Majora Carter, CEO of Majora Carter Group in the Bronx, New York City
- Marques King, Studio Director + Senior Architect, Pure Architects, Detroit, MI
- Jeremy Lake, Principal, Union Studio Architecture & Community Design, Providence, RI
- Joanna L. Lombard, Distinguished Professor at the University of Miami School of Architecture, FL
- Rico Quirindongo, Director, City of Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development
- Ashley Terry, Director, President of Development at Pivot Real Estate, Oklahoma City, OK
