Reaching New Heights at the Washington National Cathedral

5^th grade students from Turner ES recently took an amazing Pathways to Professions trip to the Washington National Cathedral. Engineers from Keast & Hood Co., working with the Cathedral’s head mason, provided an exclusive, private tour through the Cathedral – where students looked at recent earthquake damage and traveled all the way to the stone gutters high above the ground! Thanks so much to Keast & Hood for this once-in-a-lifetime experience!  Below are photos of students’ memorable day – and a description of the experience from our allies at Keast & Hood. 

Turner Elementary students pose with Keast & Hood engineers and Head Mason for the Cathedral

by Laura Burke, Structural engineer, Keast & Hood Co.
When you hear the word "engineer," what comes to mind? A nerd to the core? Dorky glasses? A passion for math and science?  Students from Turner Elementary School recently ascended almost 30 stories to discover just what engineering is all about. Young engineers from Keast & Hood Co. led students on an incredible journey through the Washington National Cathedral. Students were introduced to architecture (how the building looks), structural engineering (how the building stands), and even what happens to a stone masonry building (The Washington National Cathedral) during an earthquake.

Posing under one of the Cathedral's bells with the Head Mason

The tour kicked off as Head Mason Joe Alonso guided students through the construction history (yes, Darth Vader is in indeed carved on the building exterior!) and the earthquake exhibit at the Cathedral.  From there students had nowhere to go but up, literally! Looking out over the District of Columbia, the natural trepidation experienced by the students, and even some engineers, of ascending almost 30 stories was surpassed by the awe and excitement felt by all the students. Students also learned about the wider world of Keast and Hood's structural engineering projects --- from disaster relief in Haiti to renovations of the New York Statue of Liberty.  Who would have imagined!?

A student poses in front of an old model of the Cathedral

Students bravely climb a very high winding staircase

"The Cathedral was a perfect opportunity for students to learn about building design and construction. Whether it was a damaged gargoyle display, pictures of the cathedral during construction or looking out
over a wall at 200 feet in the air (!), the students got to experience and learn about construction in a very dramatic and exciting way. It was great to see students be excited about math and science at such a young age. I know my experiences at the Cathedral will stay with me for a long time; I expect that the kids’ day will last just the same." Leslie Morris, Structural engineer, Keast & Hood Co.

An engineer shows a student the earthquake damage while standing
in one of the Cathedral's gutters

"It is a common understanding in structural engineering that our best work is usually hidden from the public and therefore much of our work goes unnoticed. However, the exact opposite was true when we were able to take students from Turner Elementary School to the National Cathedral. I practically felt like a rock star with the level of interest and amazement the students had for the earthquake damage at the Cathedral. It was truly an awesome experience to see the students' minds light up when we talked and showed them how structural engineering was helping fix the Cathedral." Chris Johnson, Structural engineer, Keast & Hood Co.