Winners
Two architectural students from Oxford Brookes University have been awarded the top prize in our Affinity Sutton Design Competition 2009 - Make Bethnal Green and will share a funded Stage Two professional experience placement with the design led housing and regeneration consultancy HTA.
The winners were announced at an award ceremony at RIBA's Head Office in Portland Place, London W1, in addition all our finalists refined submissions are being displayed in RIBA's Florence Hall Gallery between the 5 - 15 May 2010.
You can find out more by visiting our Facebook group.
George Calver
George Calver's design was inspired by the idea of order and chaos and he was also inspired by the strong sense of community you get in the favellas in Brazil. He wanted to build stacked cubed units which when built above and below each other created spaces which could become shared communal spaces. He wanted it to be quite distinctive.
The judges commented that George's design was "An honest, pure form of architecture with residents and the community at its heart and external spaces as important as the buildings".
George spent his placement week at Hunters.
Joe Williams
Joe Williams' design aimed to change the focus of the Bethnal Green scheme - to make it more social, make it more communal and create opportunities for people to integrate. So there is a launderette, the opportunity for people to start their own social entrepreneur businesses which actually give something back to the community, public transport is prioritised and there are cycle bays. Joe was really inspired by the idea of social sustainability.
The judges commented "Joe uses architecture to increase social sustainability and reverse the current trend for working, playing and shopping in isolation".
Joe spent his placement week at Cartwright Pickard.
Mark Washer Group Finance Director and Design Champion at Affinity Sutton said.
"We are delighted with the response to our first ever Affinity Sutton Design Competition - Make Bethnal Green. The standard of entries was really excellent and I would like to congratulate George and Joe as worthy winners. There is a huge demand for well designed affordable homes which make a positive contribution to their community and we really want to be at the forefront of good design."
In addition to the winners the following commendations were awarded:
- Christopher Bell, University of Bath -
"His scheme sought to reinterpret the density and rhythm of the vernacular London street pattern for the 21st century."
- Richard Mather, Oxford Brookes University -
"Richard's ETHNI-CITY represents a human-scale scheme with its inhabitants at the centre of the design."
- Heena Mistry - Oxford Brookes University -
"Her Coming up roses: upward allotments scheme gave a 'left field approach to a sustainable lifestyle' and was a little utopian in its aspirations."
