STUDENTS from Coventry University took first and second place in a national competition for aspiring architects.
Design Concrete is a national student competition aiming at encouraging students to explore the benefits of designing sustainably with concrete.
This years challenge was to design a sustainable concrete artist’s studio space within a restored quarry site.
The winning team included architecture students Thomas Jackson, Charlie Brooker and Umar Mahmood, and architectural technology student Miles Neale.
Their project was called Organic Prefabrication and was praised by judges, saying the students had ‘developed their designs with such technical rigour, logic and well-informed decision making that really stood out.’
Thomas Jackson, who has since graduated and is working for an architecture firm in Coventry, said: “It was good to bring two groups of students together to work with concrete which is often seen as unsustainable but this allowed us to shed light on that and show it can be used sustainably.
“It was fantastic to speak to people who worked at the quarry and find out in depth about the materials they could source and where it goes within the industry.”
A team from Coventry also took second prize and included Melania Irofte, Mohammad Fouani, Natalia Bujek and Sasha Farnsworth’s their project was titled Flying Through The Fens.
Sasha Farnsworth said: “We had to come up with the proposal as part of coursework and we didn’t have to enter the competition but decided to on a bit of a whim.
“As a group we all had our own specialities so came together as a well-balanced team and when we found out we’d got the prize it was really surprising.
“Entering a competition like this is so worthwhile as it provides you with an experience that you don’t always get at university.”
Two further Coventry University groups were also shortlisted – Alesha Mahon, Anxhela Delishi, Joscelyne Eugene and Rhia Nandra; and Dominika Czarnecka, Taya Eames, Tsvetelina Kirova and Zahrah Ahmad.
Ahmed Al-Mallak, lecturer in Architecture and Architectural Technology, said: “This achievement stands out not just because of the collaboration between Architecture and Architectural Technology students but because of their genuine commitment to experimenting with design as a tool for societal and environmental change.
“The students showed how architecture can move beyond aesthetics to address pressing issues like sustainability.
“Their work reflects a deep interest in making a tangible, positive impact on the world, and that spirit of innovation and responsibility makes their success genuinely remarkable.”
