Forgotten Spaces 2012/13 - Prize giving event 1st AND 2nd place to TRC!!

After submitting our entries to the Sheffield Hallam Forgotten Spaces – Young Creatives competition way back in February we were all very eager to attend the prize giving event, see all the other entries and find out the eventual winners.  The schools version follows on from the professional Forgotten Spaces competition that came to Sheffield in 2011, encouraging architects, designers and artists to come up with innovative ideas that find new uses for the region's overlooked areas. The competition is supported by RiBA Yorkshire (The Royal Institute of British Architects) and the Sheffield Society of Architects.  This year there were 7 entries in total, from GCSE to undergraduate level and the exhibition was laid out beautifully in the Harmer Building, floor 4 (still open to be viewed until Sunday 30th June) using shop boarding to present each design.  Wine and nibbles were laid on and the students were able to mingle together and speak with current architecture students at the University of Sheffield.

There was a welcome address from Professor John Leach, Dean of the faculty which Architecture sits in, then a short introduction and overview of the entries from the head judge and Head of Architecture at Sheffield Hallam, Norman Weinard.  He praised the high standard of all the entries, stressing the judging was done blind so none of the judges knew who had submitted what.  He then handed over to Chris Patterson, the Architect who won the Forgotten Spaces Sheffield 2011 competition for professional Architects, to award the prizes. 

 Third prize was announced – a fantastic entry from Hillsborough College whose model in particular was beautifully made.  Second prize was announced – ‘Thomas Rotherham College Team 1’! Confusion ensued as none of us could remember which team was which!  However the names were read out and Bradley Sargeson (AS Fine Art) and Heather Ward (AS Graphics)  collected their prizes on behalf of the rest of their team mates; Emily Twynham (A2 Graphics)  Lucy Green,  Marie Schofield and Louise Hamilton (A2 Fine Art).  Grinning like Cheshire cats we were very surprised and over the moon to be placed second, the judges particularly praising the concept behind ‘the pentagon’, a public area offering a place to relax while taking in the views over Rotherham, and Bradleys ‘atmospheric charcoal drawing’.

 

 

 

We were still excited over our placement in second when the first place announcement was made – Thomas Rotherham College Team 2!! I have never seen Mona Peirov or Joe Bradley speechless before, however they were dumbstruck when the announcement was made.  They were praised for their University level research and highly developed concept.  Their design for a new 'Common Room' for youngsters from Thomas Rotherham College and Rotherham College of Art and Technology to integrate and socialise, was praised by competition judges for its 'outstanding innovation that met the competition criteria at every level'.    Their innovative presentation was also commended as ‘the cherry on the top’.  Mona and Joe (A2 Fine Art) represented their team and collected prizes on behalf of the other members; Vicky Spencer (A2 Fine Art), Eddie Mee (A2 Graphics), Marta Kwasniewska and Jenny Betts (AS Fine Art).

 

After the prize giving the students were photographed with their entries and invited to look round the Sheffield Hallam Architecture degree show.  This was inspirational. The students attending, who are all either going to study Architecture this year or considering it for next year, really enjoyed seeing the work produced and the different ways in which it had been presented.  Heather and Bradley were already getting ideas for next year’s competition!  

We are incredibly proud of our students for achieving such a wonderful double in such a prestigious competition.  They have won a total  of £1750 in prize money for the Department and were each presented with specialist architecture rulers and pens.  I would like to say a huge thank you to our Art Technicians Lucy Matthews who presented the original brief and inspired the students to think outside of the box and , together with Tracy Gelder,  who supported the students whilst they were developing their ideas and creating their entries.  Although the ideas and work came directly from the students themselves, the support from Lucy and Tracy was vital in bringing the entries together.  I would also like to register thanks to Sheffield Hallam University for involving us in such a fantastic competition which we are already very much looking forward to entering next year.