Ronald Yee

Ronald Yee is a chartered bridge architect with over 40 years’ experience of bridging that began as an officer cadet in the Royal Engineers. After resigning his commission Ronald qualified as an architect and is now the principal of Yee Associates: architects & designers. Ronald has been the architect of a number of long span bridges including Tsing Ma Bridge in Hong Kong, Ponte Vasco da Gama in Portugal, Bhumibol Bridges in Bangkok and most recently the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge in Ireland. 

Prior to the University of Kent, Ronald was a Senior Lecturer at London South Bank University where he was co-leader of M Architecture unit Re\Source Studio 22, investigating the sustainable design and resourcing of future cities. Whilst at LSBU Ronald developed links with Metsa Wood and successfully obtained research funding for students to investigate the urban use of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL). Research findings lead to the publication of “Walworth Alternative: retaining and enhancing Britain's social housing estates utilising contemporary timber construction”. Journal of Green Building Vol. 12 Issue 1 (Winter 2017). Re\Source Studio 22 also organised and curated the LSBU/Metsa Wood “Urban Wood” conference in March 2016, planned to coincide with the UK launch of the “Plan B” campaign, bringing together eminent speakers to discuss the future of urban timber construction.

During 2019 Ronald was commissioned by The Crowood Press to author and photograph a book on “The Architecture of British Bridges” which is scheduled for publication in Autumn 2020. 

Ronald’s research has been mainly linked to his work in private practice and is focused around innovative bridge design and long span construction. Innovation includes the architectural development of Extrados bridge construction (exposing reinforcement tendons above deck), recently implemented on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge near New Ross in Ireland, and is the longest structure of its type in the world.

 Previous research areas include:

• The architectural shaping of bridge structure with regard to constructability and aerodynamic performance as incorporated into design and construction of Tsing Ma Bridge (the longest combined road and rail span in the world) and Clackmannanshire Bridge (longest launched concrete structure in Europe).
• Architectural design of bridges with regard to seismic safety and resilience, implemented on Pont Vasco da Gama – Portugal and 6th Street Bridge Replacement – Los Angeles.