Portsmouth postgrad wins national architect prize
23-year-old Niall Bird, 23, won the Philip Webb Award for his plans to transform Bursledon Brickworks, near Southampton into an education centre. Last year he won the same award for his plans to revitalise Portsmouth's Hilsea Lido. Niall says, "Winning this award for a second time is absolutely fantastic. The competition is unique as it allows entrants to showcase their work directly to specialists within the field of architectural conservation and re-use. This is incredibly useful in order to gauge how well your ideas would be potentially received within the profession." The Philip Webb Award encourages new design in the context of historic buildings and to develop an appreciation of buildings through understanding the architectural and historical values of old buildings and the purpose, philosophy and techniques of conservation. Niall continues, "The School of Architecture's Project Office played such a vital role in me winning last year and again this year because the projects it gives us to work on are real with genuine clients." Martin Andrews, Project Office Coordinator and Associate Senior Lecturer at the University, set up the School of Architecture's Project Office in November 2008. Martin says, "Niall's award winning project has responded positively to a real brief that was developed in consultation with the client at Bursledon Brickworks. His work can be understood by academics, practitioners and lay clients, which is a difficult skill-set to develop. By carefully considering his final presentation and choosing drawings and words that could be easily understood, Niall has shown that good architectural design can be appreciated by a wide audience." Find out more about the School of Architecture at the University of Portsmouth. Looking for funding for postgraduate studies in 2011? Check out the exclusive bursaries on offer from Postgrad Solutions. Content added on 20th January 2011. |
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A University of Portsmouth architecture student has won a prestigious national award for his plans to transform a Hampshire landmark. This is the second year running that he has won this award.