30 June 2006
Contact Theresa Ely on 020 7070 6771
A scheme to transform the roof tops of city buildings into recreation areas for youngsters has won the Environmental Design Award at this year’s D&AD Global Student Awards.
Featuring large spherical glass seating areas, bridges between roof tops and fake forests, 'Urban Canopy' shows the huge potential that exists to make greater use of buildings in increasingly dense urban areas. The scheme includes film projection onto the sides of buildings, communications systems between roof tops, and solar powered posters. Highlighting the view, the tranquillity and the fresh air, designer William Potts from Leeds College of Art & Design describes the project as ‘a platform of activity above the everyday monotony of the busy streets below'. He says the scheme can be applied to any city, anywhere in the world: 'As long as there are flat roofs, there is a platform to stand on'.
The Environmental Design Award, sponsored by CABE and the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award, challenged students to design a structure that would transform an underused space into a memorable public place creating new opportunities for young people to engage in their local community.
Focusing on spaces within the local neighbourhood that have been forgotten and underused but which are close to areas of activity, students were asked to consider how design and construction can improve the quality of people’s lives and help build a better environment. In particular the brief asked them to consider:
It is estimated that there are 70,000 hectares of derelict and vacant land across England and Wales, an area approximating the size of Greater London. The purpose of the award was to show how good design can revitalise neighbourhoods and cities, not only by transforming derelict sites and buildings but by uplifting run-down communities and helping to reduce crime, illness and truancy.
Judges described the winning design as an original and powerful concept showing great imagination. Sarah Allan, enabling advisor at CABE, and one of the judges said: 'It was the simple schemes that really stood out. The winning design combined originality with a sense of humour and painted a picture of a whole community, rather than just a structure. It’s ideas like this that will ultimately help to engage young people in their neighbourhoods and reinvigorate our underused spaces'.
Moira Gemmill, Director of Projects and Design at the V&A added: 'I thought the brief was excellent and all the students responded well. William Potts, in my view, was the clear winner - not only for his fantastic concept, but as much for its simple, elegant and witty presentation'.
Second prize was awarded to Satveer Kaur and Stuart Littlewood of Lincoln University for 'Under the Bridge', a scheme where unused spaces under bridges are transformed into community areas incorporating outdoor cinemas, dark rooms, libraries and computer suites.
D&AD Education Chairman Garrick Hamm said: 'The increased number of international entries and the overall quality of execution, accompanied by great ideas, has made for a very impressive body of work all round'.
This year, over 3,000 entries were received from 36 countries, making this the biggest, most international D&AD Global Student Awards to date. Twenty-five briefs were set covering everything from advertising and product design to digital and interactive media.
The winners were announced at the D&AD Global Student Awards ceremony and dinner on 29 June at Old Billingsgate alongside 140 other students who have also won prizes and commendations for their work. Both first and second prize winners of the Environmental Design Award will receive a D&AD Student Pencil as well as cash prizes of £1,000 and £400 respectively.