Dezeen School Shows: an app that makes use of disused car parks and a community cafe feature in Dezeen’s latest school show by students at the University of the Arts London.
Also included is a museum that examines the role of female workers in the industrial revolution and a scheme that aims to integrate the physical and digital worlds to connect people to their surroundings.
“Camberwell College of Arts is a renowned art and design college. We give students the space to explore their creativity. Staff will support and challenge you to rethink current practices. Our facilities embrace both traditional craftsmanship and digital technology.
“Our design and fine art courses will make you think about your social responsibility, as well as develop your critical and making skills.
“View our recent graduate’s work online at the Graduate Showcase website.
“Join our online and on-site open days to learn more about Camberwell College of Arts and our courses. Click here for more information.
“For the following projects, Camberwell’s BA Interior and Spatial Design students collaborated with students at IED Kunsthal, a design university located in Bilbao, Spain.
“Students focused on the regeneration of Zorrotzaurre, a post-industrial area of Bilbao built on an artificial island.
“The project’s aim was to design proposals for a former biscuit factory site, which required remote online working with students at IED Kunsthal as they researched and explored the area together.
“Each student created a map of the urban landscape through a variety of media including textiles, projection and interaction.
“Some Camberwell students also visited the site in Bilbao, where they exhibited their urban fabric mappings of the current condition of Zorrotzaurre and design proposals for the future of the island.
“They also took part in a show at the university, as well as delivered presentations and workshops as part of the DRS2022.”
Community and the Vernacular: Physical and Virtual by Lea Fakhouri
“Community and the Vernacular is an expansion of my thesis around the idea that people in today’s society are considered inert consumers that only use the spaces that they inhabit, and are not actually part of the process of designing them.
“My project explores the merging of the physical and digital world to help revitalise the connection between people and space.
“The physical world houses six separate pavilions suspended across the site of the Artiach Cookie Factory in Bilbao, Spain.
“The virtual world houses the united pavilions suspended together to represent the capabilities of the community to inform and transform its topography.”
Student:Lea Fakhouri Course: BA Interior and Spatial Design
Mobile Community Repair Cafes by Mia Bizard
“Using my research on themes exploring accessibility, connection and communities, this project continues my investigation into the architecture of connection – connecting people, city, and environment.
“Proposing a series of workshops and gallery spaces that essentially become repair cafes, all connected with foldable canopies, this project promotes the reduction of waste and sustainable, social community-focused lifestyles.
“The idea is to bridge and connect these places – located around the island of Zorrotzaurre in Bilbao, Spain – as well as the local community through this fragmented series of spaces.
“It aims to empower residents to take an active part in shaping their communities, as well as building on the legacy of the site by adding a participatory and engaging design that will help promote and attract people to the area.”
Student:Mia Bizard Course: BA Interior and Spatial Design
Zorrotzaurre’s Art District by Maya Hammoud
“The project offers a unique experience to its visitors by taking them through a ‘designed walk’ across three spaces: a gallery, an auditorium and a multi-purpose social space.
“The project is aimed at the local community and those with a common interest in Bilbao’s growing art scene.
“The spatial layout explores the act of observing, using thresholds and viewports to make visitors see, experience and question their surroundings.
“The aim of using viewports as a tool for observing fragments of other spaces, allowing sudden interactions to happen between visitors.
“It also forms a deeper understanding of visitor experiences and how it is influenced by the creation of space.”
Student: Maya Hammoud Course: BA Interior and Spatial Design
Time Traveller by Qiao Wang
“I created a temporary exhibition to promote local cultural heritage in Zorrotzaurre, Bilbao, Spain.
“This solar-powered installation is based on the simplified shape of Zorrotzaurre, which is intended to provide visitors with a quick tour of the island.
“To arouse the interest of visitors, they will feel as if they are exploring the maze while walking inside the installation, just like they are discovering and seeking knowledge in an unfamiliar city.
“This project promotes the industrial heritage culture of the region to visitors from all over the world while boosting the local tourism economy and providing educational cultural dissemination.
“In the installation, I used the pulley structure of the factory and woven fabric, which was inspired by my map. All materials used are sustainable.”
Student: Qiao Wang Course: BA Interior and Spatial Design
Fabric-Women-Museum by Shiyuan Liu
“Fabric-Women-Museum aims to spatialise the inequalities suffered by women in the workplace during the industrial revolution.
“The project is based on research into the history of Artiach during the industrial revolution when approximately 80 per cent of the workers were women.
“Although Artiach offered work opportunities for women, their working conditions and treatment were poor.
“The design translates the inequality of women in the workplace into four thematic rooms: control, inconvenience, isolation and vulnerability.
“The interactive exhibition helps visitors understand the conditions suffered by women workers in workspaces during the industrial revolution.”
Student: Shiyuan Liu Course: BA Interior and Spatial Design
(Junk)scape – Rethinking and Recycling Non-Places by Kiwi Chan
“This project represents creative ways to transform car parks from non-place, anonymous spaces to ones with urban character.
“The (Junk)scape app is a system and service that proposes efficient uses for ‘wasted’ spaces and energy around ‘non-places’ i.e. car parks.
“This app rethinks and recycles underutilised parking lots by using a renting and scheduling system.
“My primary design proposal for my rented ‘non- place’ explores ‘placeless’ people, in hopes to provide support for the local homeless community and raise awareness around this ‘invisible class’ through film.
“This proposal also aims to incorporate responsible involvement with Bizitegi, a non-profit organisation that contributed to the construction of services for individuals from the worlds of exclusion and mental illness in Bilbao.”
Student:Kiwi Chan Course: BA Interior and Spatial Design
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of the Arts London. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
A self-organising shelter that adapts to environmental stimuli and ceramic tableware designed to stimulate the senses are included in Dezeen’s latest school show by students at Birmingham City University.
Also included is a Russian recreational area designed as a multifunctional park to meet residents’ needs, and a chair that explores hair-based discrimination while celebrating black, afro and textured hair.
“A vibrant and inspiring learning community, the school identifies strongly with the civic university movement and has a dynamic and growing reputation in practice-led research, enterprise and knowledge exchange, encompassing disciplines across the scales from Product and Furniture through Interiors, Architecture, Urban Design (from September 2021) Landscape Architecture with cross-cutting courses in Design Management and Conservation of the Historic Environment.
“We deliver an outstanding and distinctive student experience and embrace a practice, research and knowledge-based approach to our teaching demonstrated by our KTPs, our innovative BA (Hons) Design for Future Living in partnership with George Clarke’s Ministry of Building Innovation and Education (MOBIE), our transdisciplinary collaborative Co.LAB live projects and Experimental Sustainability Studio initiatives.”
Heirs of Time by Laura Hastings
“Heirs of Time explores how the memories of local communities could be archived, restored and recollected through the ‘apparatus of the heirloom’. This thesis explores key themes of time, memory, depth and transformation. Following research and investigation into the changes of a Birmingham high street, the heirloom became a physical manifestation of the built environment.
“Programmatically, underground spaces have been developed to represent long-term, consolidated memories that are not so regularly recollected, functioning as archives and experience rooms. Instead of public-facing, the overground spaces represent short-term memories, those that are regularly made and forgotten.”
Student:Laura Hastings Course: BA(Hons) Architecture Tutors: Dr Matthew Jones, Matthew Hayes and Rebecca Walker Email: ljhastings-1@talktalk.net
Equilibrium 2.0 by Pasha Jeremenko
“Equilibrium 2.0 explores self-organising architecture and its adaptations to environmental stimuli. In an extreme climate, conventional architecture cannot sustain itself, which causes the architectural paradigm to shift – from static to dynamic.
“The designed shelter adapts itself to external conditions by working together with nature in its response. The equilibrium between the synthetic and the organic opens up more opportunities for evolving architecture. The evolution, in this case, appears in the form of the technological assembly of machines.”
Student:Pasha Jeremenko Course: BA(Hons) Architecture Tutors: David Capener, Amrita Raja, Bea Martin, Rob Annable and Ian Shepherd Email: pasha.jeremenko@outlook.com
How can the music industry rebuild in a post-pandemic environment while securing its future and maintaining its culture? by Azita Maria Rushton
“Access talent is a music industry tour programme that aims to create a supportive, coherent and connected professional journey for young music enthusiasts. The programme comprises three courses taught by industry professionals, hosted in grassroots music venues located in areas of high deprivation in the UK otherwise forgotten by industry and government.
“The programme features an initiative that offers opportunities provided by industry sponsors to work and study within the music. This concept was designed to address threats to the British music industry’s ecosystem, such as poor creative careers education, inequality in music education and lack of support for grassroots music venues.”
Student: Azita Maria Rushton Course: BA (Hons) Design Management Level 6 Top-up Tutors: Nicholas Irvin Email: azita-maria.rushton@mail.bcu.ac.uk
How can design innovation and digital technology be used to create the shopping experience of the future? by Nontawat Nowarit (Addy)
“Neo – X is the integration and utilisation of Augmented Reality (AR) technology in brick-and-mortar stores to reinvigorate retail shopping experiences of the future. The project explores the challenges and opportunities of how AR could be used in retail to enhance window shopping experience and entice customers to come back into physical stores after the pandemic. The concept demonstrates the promising use of AR in window shopping and how it could become a part of the new and enhanced in-store experiences of the future.”
Student: Nontawat Nowarit (Addy) Course: BA (Hons) Design Management Level 6 Top-up Tutors: Nicholas Irvin Email: Nontawat.Nowarit@mail.bcu.ac.uk
Box For Life by Luke Reynolds
“The Box For Life project is a national tiny home community network designed to bring the tiny home movement to urban cities. I have developed both the ultimate tiny home that can be purchased at an affordable price and a flagship community site on George Street in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.
“It combats the growing economic issue that sees struggling young people attempt to juggle work and social lives whilst reaching for the property ladder. The project aims to increase ‘urban opportunity’ for people in a tiny home and sustainable living communities and attract a new generation of tiny dwellers.”
Student: Luke Reynolds Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Tutors: Christopher Maloney and Josephine Bridges Email: Ljwreynolds@gmail.com
The Emporium of Possibility by Georgia Ruscoe
“This project aims to prepare for a post-pandemic world and become the key to the escapist dream-world that people so deeply desire. Its spatial strategy will disregard hierarchy and instead focus on forming an economy built on human communities.
“It enhances creative potential through the freedom of exploration, epistemic emotions and knowledge production. Providing people with the opportunity to explore their entrepreneurial aspirations whilst combating social and environmental issues. Its goal is to move away from fast output and stop the machine age, centring on the human again by forming an age of experience and creative exploration – something that cannot be automated.”
Student: Georgia Ruscoe Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Tutors: Christopher Maloney and Josephine Bridges Email: georgiaruscoe@gmail.com
Comfort Valley Murmansk by Linyun Jiang
“Comfort Valley is a large recreational area outside the city centre of Murmansk, Russia. This innovative design provides an opportunity to identify and implement a vibrant multifunctional park area revitalisation that can meet local residents’ needs, increase the connection between people and the site, and enhance the community environment. It utilises the natural and climatic conditions of the Arctic with sustainable technical innovations in the form of warming huts dotted through the landscape, connected with green infrastructure.”
Student: Linyun Jian Course: BA (hons) Landscape Architecture, LI Tutors: Lucas Hughes, Eccles Ng, Dawn Parke and Rasha Sayed Email: Linyun.Jiang@mail.bcu.ac.uk
Regeneration Design in Tuanjie Village by Shiyun Huang
“This landscape-led urban redevelopment creates public space for residents to live, entertain and relax. There is a diversity of activities, forming active street venues which address nighttime and daytime uses. The Unity Village will be a “new life”, a “new symbol”, and a “new landmark”.
“Inspired by the symbolic language abstracted water-towns in the Yangtze River Delta, a new symbol of a Central Park with a series of dynamic connected spaces is created. It is a new landmark integrating traditional and contemporary characteristics, enlightened by the abstract artistic conception of courtyard and landscape forms.”
Student: Shiyun Huang Course: BA(Hons) Landscape Architecture Tutors: Lucas Hughes, Eccles Ng, Dawn Parke and Rasha Sayed Email: Shiyun.Huang@mail.bcu.ac.uk
Dolcio by Katarzyna Kozlowska
“Dolcio is a collection of experimental ceramic tableware developed in response to the study of gastrophysics – the scientific analysis of how our experience of food and drink is affected by our senses and surroundings.
“Carefully composed, this series of dessert plates stimulate the senses through colour, form and texture, increasing the sweet taste of puddings and creating a more positive and mindful eating experience. By using rounded tableware, users can reduce the amount of sugar used in dishes without compromising on the taste, therefore helping to promote healthier eating habits.”
Student: Katarzyna Kozlowska Course: BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design Tutors: Richard Underhill, Malcolm Hastings, Brian Adams and Natalie Cole Email: Katarzynakozlowskadesign@outlook.com
Zewadi by Katy Thompson
“Inspired by personal experiences growing up in a predominately white town and the Black Lives Matter movement, this chair explores hair-based discrimination and how design can celebrate black, afro and textured hair. Zewadi was designed as a functional and educational furniture piece, intended to initiate conversations surrounding this underrepresented issue.
“Zewadi uses textured black cork and rounded forms to represent black hair, whilst its throne-like scale brings empowerment to its users. Additionally, the gap in the headrest not only highlights the user’s hair but also reduces the risk of friction damage.”
Student: Katy Thompson Course: BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design Tutors: Richard Underhill, Malcolm Hastings, Brian Adams and Natalie Cole Email: Katyt1998@gmail.com
Cardboard Products for the Design Museum by Thomas Whiskens
“Taking inspiration from the ecological principle of the edge effect, the project questions and explores how design can respond to uncertainty with creativity and dynamism while recognizing its role in Fairbourne’s narrative.
“The proposition is to create a community-owned visitor destination, together with enabling landscapes, aimed at changing the collective mindset for Fairbourne, encouraging a vision for the territory as having multiple future identities and uses beyond the engineered utility topography.
“The spectrum of landscape systems and settings draw on the unique characteristics of the existing estuary topography, from the engineered edge of the seawall, through the shifting edge of marsh and wetland to the relic uplands.”
Student: Thomas Whiskens Course: Foundation/BA Product Design Tutors: Myles Cummings, Tom Tebby, Andrew Trujillo and Anastasiya Luban
LAxArch – Canal Side Regeneration Project by Matthew Harris
“This Landscape and Architecture project was based on a location within Birmingham’s sprawling canal network. The challenge was to rejuvenate an area of the Grand Union canal in Digbeth, rethink the landscape for people using the site, and provide a kiosk to find information or buy products. This piece of work shows a section through the site.”
Student: Matthew Harris Course: Foundation/BA Architecture Tutors: Myles Cummings, Tom Tebby, Andrew Trujillo and Anastasiya Luban
Grow your own highstreet by Anita Brindley
“Imagine if our cities could become closed-loop systems where all construction materials are produced and harvested just a few metres away from the site. This scheme aims to achieve this by reforesting our high streets. Through reforesting, timber becomes a local and sustainable material source that, during its growth, absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide.
“Over time, the timber grown on the high street can then be harvested by locals and used to develop the local surroundings. The high street no longer becomes made up of static objects but encompasses the active processes related to the community and ecology which inhabit and support its construction.”
Student: Anita Brindley Course: MArch Architecture (RIBA Pt.2), unit: Extinction Rebellion Architecture Tutors: Professor Rachel Sara and Elly Deacon Smith Email: anitalb24@gmail.com
The Pleasure Gardens by Chloe Luvena Dent
“Inspired by the Festival Pleasure Gardens in Battersea – one of the major exhibitions organised by the post-war Labour government during the Festival of Britain in 1951 to give the British a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of WW2.
“The thesis uses hedonistic ideas of pleasure based on Jeremy Bentham’s theories to create contemporary pleasure gardens as a response to the isolating and disengaging social constraints of Covid-19. Envisioned as a series of raised platforms above London, ‘socially undistanced’ moving gimbals, as well as ornate festival structures embedded within landscaped gardens, create an ambient and fun urban experience.”
Student: Chloe Luvena Dent Course: MArch Architecture (RIBA Pt.2), unit: arena Tutors: Alessandro Columbano and Valeria Szegal Email: chloedent09@gmail.com
Fairbourne 2070 – The New Gold Rush by David Mahon
“Given its position on a low-lying salt marsh, Fairbourne can no longer be protected from flooding with rising sea levels and increased risk of storms due to climate change. Fairbourne 2070 – the new gold rush is a project to relocate and design a new Fairbourne that is resilient to climate change and fit for social demands of the year 2070 and beyond, using the principles of a circular economy.
“The new gold rush does not take resources from the landscape. It reuses those that have already been extracted and replenishes those that have been depleted.”
Student: David Mahon Course: MA Landscape Architecture Tutors: Russell Good and Dr Sandra Costa Email: davidedwardmahon@outlook.com
Fairbourne – Landscape at the Edge by Sam Rule
“Taking inspiration from the ecological principle of the edge effect, the project questions and explores how design can respond to uncertainty with creativity and dynamism while recognizing its role in Fairbourne’s narrative. The proposition is to create a community-owned visitor destination, together with enabling landscapes, to change the collective mindset for Fairbourne, encouraging a vision for the territory as having multiple future identities and uses beyond the engineered utility topography.
“The spectrum of landscape systems and settings draw on the unique characteristics of the existing estuary topography, from the engineered edge of the seawall, through the shifting edge of marsh and wetland to the relic uplands.”
Student: Sam Rule Course: MA Landscape Architecture Tutors: Russell Good and Dr Sandra Costa Email: sam.rule@outlook.com
Forest Hub by Gertruda Blazaityte
“Forest Hub is a wood innovation centre bringing researchers, students, businesses, and local residents together to collaborate and share their passion and knowledge to build a healthier and more sustainable urban city. Forest Hub also provides the local community with a space to connect with nature – both indoors and outdoors along with private and spacious studios designed for multiple uses.
“The concept focuses on sustainable and innovative design solutions by using Biomimicry where biological strategies are being used to improve building’s energy efficiency and create a multi-sensory forest-like journey that brings the user closer to nature.”
Student:Gertruda Blazaityte Course: BA Interior Architecture and Design Tutors: Christopher Maloney and Josephine Bridges Email: blazaitytegertruda@gmail.com
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Birmingham City University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
A gender-inclusive hair salon and a cafe that aims to help break down mental health barriers are included in Dezeen’s latest school show from students at the University of Huddersfield.
Also included is a project that aims to revolutionise up-cycling in the retail industry and an adventure and learning centre designed for the elderly.
“We are proud to present a selection of ten pieces of award-winning work that aim to demonstrate the range and scope of projects students undertake in their final year of study. Throughout each project, they selected a site and developed their project brief. Through in-depth research and explorative processes, projects are designed and developed, becoming realised through technical and visual communication.
“Here at Huddersfield, we think that interior design transforms ideas into experiences. We allow students to create entirely new experiences and relationships between people and the places they spend time in. The emphasis is on creativity as we explore and extend current design thinking, pushing boundaries to innovate, providing new ways of looking at human and spatial interactions in response to our changing world.
“This group of students has had to cope with unprecedented circumstances during the Covid-19 outbreak and are a credit to themselves and the course in producing exciting projects that help us to glimpse the future. They are on the cusp of new approaches and changing parameters in design, able to adapt and offer reflexive approaches to future projects. To view the university’s virtual showcase click here and to view its Instagram, visit its profile.”
22 Degrees by Paccelli Sowerby
“This project aims to democratise wine tasting for the younger consumer. It seeks to mix up the traditional wine bar, reintroducing wine to the younger consumer in a fun, informal environment that focuses on learning through experience.
“The project intends to create a reactive space with a hands-on approach to wine tasting, bringing people closer to natural wine by echoing the hand-crafted winemaking process through design elements.
“The space gives people the tools and info to embark on their own journey of wine discovery whilst learning about the making process and being inspired by the urban vineyard environment.
“22 Degrees offers more than just a huge variety of natural wines – it also hosts a selfie label-booth, interactive wine quiz, contact-free bottle shop, self serve wine bar, sensory wine experience and roof terrace with sensory grape pods. This project has a full technical pack and feasibility study, both of which are available for download on my website.”
Student: Paccelli Sowerby Award: Best Visual Communication Tutors: Penny Sykes, Jen Leach and Natasha Crowe
Millennium by Adam Kendall
“Today, millennials represent about 32 per cent of the luxury market but will grow to command 50 per cent of the market by 2025. It is clear that technology is advancing and is a significant part of younger generations lives. Through primary research, 48 per cent of millennials spend more than five hours a day looking at a digital screen, and 35 per cent spend between 75 -120 minutes on social media.
“Millennium is a space influenced by social media, and tech aims to create a unique but relatable experience for younger people, making them feel more involved and connected. The issue discovered through the project research is that there is a growing millennial customer base in the luxury industry.
“However, a change or development has not been seen to suit this audience in the commercial sector. In fact, luxury bars and restaurants are more suitable for the older generations. This leads to the isolation of their younger audience, who are digitally savvy and constantly connected. I propose a solution – to create a space that relates to younger generations. A space that is familiar, comfortable and digitally enhanced.”
Student: Adam Kendall Award: Best Technical Detailing Tutors: Penny Sykes, Jen leach and Natasha Crowe
Re-Fashioned by Heather Martin
“This is a project that aims to revolutionise up-cycling in the retail industry through the manipulation of contemporary retail and technology. Often the clothing industry does not recycle materials it cannot sell.
“This means an increasing amount of materials are being thrown away instead of being recycled and reused which, further contributes to the global environmental crisis.
“The solution seems obvious: employ artists who love up-cycling and using material which usually gets discarded to craft new items people will love to wear! Research showed that many people feel pessimistic about purchasing pre-owned items. Re-Fashioned places a luxurious twist on up-cycled clothing to encourage more people to do more to save the environment and to look good doing it!
“The concept was developed by the silhouettes and shapes inspired by the human body – seen in the lighting features. Materials within the space were also essential to consider as it needed to be luxury as well as sustainable and natural.”
Student: Heather Martin Award: Best Creative Process Tutors: Penny Sykes, Jen Leach and Natasha Crowe
Sip + Sculpt by Alyssia Hanson
“Sip + Sculpt is designed to allow its customers to unwind in a space where they can work through their stress and break down barriers around mental health. It aims to facilitate connection, inspire imagination and create an oasis of positivity and comfort.
“The project’s concept was influenced by the ‘slow living movement’ alongside the keywords, balance’ and ‘floating’. Customers are encouraged to lock away their devices, distancing themselves from the use of social media, allowing themselves to embrace their creativity and get messy with clay.”
Student: Alyssia Hanson Award: Best Conceptual Approach Tutors: Penny Sykes, Jen Leach and Natasha Crowe
New Horizons Cub House by Amy Rigby
“New Horizons is an experiential adventure and event planning space including digital booking hubs and learning zones. It has been created for the retired generation to create a place to counteract any regrets they have through life.
“Through research, I found that retired people have many regrets about things they have missed out on during their working lives but don’t have anywhere to explore and resolve them.
“The space has been created to encourage and support a second life with access to fun and exciting activities. Activities include participating in new experiences by trying them out in the VR zone, booking experiences, learning about the digital world and improving skills, or just socialising and meeting new people of similar ages and interests.
“The concept is based around ‘a walk in the park’ which makes entering the clubhouse an experience in itself, as the concept can be seen in the layout and other features.”
Student: Amy Rigby Award: Best Use of Materiality Tutors: Penny Sykes, Jen Leach and Natasha Crowe
Parmilla by Luke Pierce
“Parmilla is dedicated to the people of Huddersfield and is a creative community workplace and social hub, driven by the concept of perspective. The centre celebrates the creative culture the town has to offer and provide co-working spaces and meeting hubs for hire.
“With the ground floor open to the public, it offers the opportunity for exhibitions and offers space for creative events and performances, to provide new experiences and introduce people to new cultural arts.
“It also has a kitchen space located on the ground floor that features a local guest chef every Friday to offer new food experiences to its guests and give the restaurants the chefs are representing more exposure.
“Parmilia will also send out lengths of fabric to local schools, care homes and stands in the streets of Huddersfield to have people tie knots in the fabric. This fabric will then be exhibited from the ceilings throughout the space. Serving mainly as wayfinding, it also highlights essential areas in Parmilla and represents the people of Huddersfield and celebrates individuality.”
Student: Luke Pierce Award: Best Spatial Exploration Tutors: Penny Sykes, Jen Leach and Natasha Crowe
Derma-Tech by Rhiana-Dean Robinson-Hine
“Derma-Tech is a multi-functional, fully immersive retail experience that provides information on skincare knowledge. Consumers are given access to current dermatology technology and DNA driven retailing.
“Developing a forward-thinking ‘go-to’ space for all things skincare by providing numerous experiences for consumers. With technology at the forefront of the design, it harnesses artificial intelligence teledermatology and implements smart technologies throughout each step of the customer journey.”
Student: Rhiana-Dean Robinson-Hine Award: Best Future Focussed Project Tutors: Penny Sykes, Jen Leach and Natasha Crowe
Unite Wellness by Jordan Marzetti
“The Wellness and Respite Centre focuses on delivering a new experience to both dependants and carers. It is a new brand that combines leisure with respite, tackling the disadvantages adults with learning disabilities face and addressing the mental and physical wellbeing of both the dependant and carer.
“It is a purpose-built space located within a residential area, but placed conveniently with other complimenting businesses, providing on-site support through counselling and information. Design is purposely minimal to aid adults with learning disabilities, corridors are direct in layout, and all essential rooms can be found on main corridors.
“There are no curves, or complicated shapes, no distracting patterns, or textures and information points on each main corridor aid navigation acting as way-finding. It includes a new staircase with handrails spaced to be held on either side, including an emergency evacuation slide. Automatic doors into all changing and restroom entrances and two new extra-large lifts have been added to the site.”
Student: Jordan Marzetti Award: Best Socially Focused Project Tutors: Penny Sykes, Jen Leach and Natasha Crowe
Undefeated by Sarah Parkes
“Research has shown that an overwhelming number of females are faced with physical, mental and social barriers when participating in physical activities. Therefore, a key objective of the design proposal was to challenge and support the journeys women face by offering a personalised and unique fitting service within a female-only sportswear store.
“The building is split into three key areas: physical, mental and social. Physical is on the ground floor and is focused on enhancing the body through high-performance sportswear. This zone also includes RFID technology self-checkout, collection points, beacon technology touchscreens and AR smart mirrors.
“The mental section is on the basement floor and is concentrated on re-energising the customer’s mind and body by creating a multi-sensory experience. This includes a relaxation massage pod that indulges all the customer senses and helps them to escape from the busy retail stores on Oxford Street.
“Social is on the first floor and is focused on maintaining customer’s wellbeing by encouraging social interaction within the environment of a nutrition cafe. The material palette includes fresh and light materials that correspond with nutrition and healthy eating.”
Student: Sarah Parkes Award: Best Commercially Focussed Project Tutors: Penny Sykes, Jen Leach and Natasha Crowe
Dare Hair by Jasmin Hardy
“Dare is a non-binary, gender-inclusive hair salon that looks towards the new generation of gender-inclusive hairstyling salons. After researching the importance of hair in gender/self-identity it became apparent that the hair industry needed a new approach to its mainly binary format.
“Using the concept of fluidity, which was also inspired by the limitless creativity of the metaverse, Dare Hair aims to create a gender-inclusive environment for people to experiment with their appearance aided by the integration of smart technology.
“Whether it be someone wanting to experiment with a bold alternative hairstyle or someone exploring their gender expression, everyone is welcome and encouraged at Dare Hair.
“Throughout my time at university, my projects have been driven with the edges of society in mind, so being able to create Dare Hair with the concentration being on the LGBTQ+ community has pushed me to create a thorough, well researched final design. I am thankful to those who are part of the community who were willing to share their experiences with me and I dedicate this project to them.”
Student: Jasmin Hardy Award: Best Overall Project Tutors: Penny Sykes, Jen Leach and Natasha Crowe
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the University of Huddersfield. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
A residential building typology that challenges Dubai’s standalone towers and a community hub that connects a neighbourhood via sport are included in Dezeen’s latest school show by students at The American University in Dubai.
The projects also include a tent designed to unite religious communities in Dubai and a tower intended to educate people on sustainability while promoting biofuel-producing architecture.
“This is a final course in which students implement their thesis research by developing a project that incorporates all the principles of design, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of architectural design and evidence of professional capability.
“The course outcomes are exhibited in a senior showcase where a jury of experts was invited to vote. The 2021 architecture senior showcase ran online on Behance from 27 April to 29 April.
“A jury of 40 international experts, coming from academia, professional realm and press, voted the projects – first, second, third, honourable mentions and design awards. Another series of awards involved an internal academic jury – professors, alumni, faculty – and an external jury included students and the public.”
First Place Award and the Faculty and Alumni Award: The Cessation/Memorial Museum by Joe Sassine Finianos
“The project aims at being the cessation of relationship, civilian and historical losses witnessed by the Lebanese people. It aims at fixing the relationship loss that was broken in 1975 when the city of Beirut got divided between Christians and Muslims.
“The demographic distribution of the people shows a clear evident line in the separation of the two religious groups. The thesis highlights the citizens who died, making their memory live and making them a lesson for the upcoming generations.
“The thesis also studies the numerous destructions in historical monuments and art crafts after every explosion or war. The repeated cycle is evident after every war where museums lose historical artefact due to poor storage, people lose their loved ones as a result of the explosions and the relationship between the two religious group worsens.”
Student: Joe Sassine Finianos Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Joesassine.finianos@mymail.aud.edu
Second Place Award: The Isle by Rhea Khoury
“The Isle is a micro-city where students have the freedom to explore their passions and make their own decisions on what and how they want to learn. New teaching methods encourage new solutions on how educational spaces should be organised and designed – moving from a still and disciplined environment to a student-centred, flexible and adaptable space for all different kinds of people.
“The young adults from the schools around the Isle and beyond come from different backgrounds and gather to learn from each other and coexist. The different typologies of spaces encourage learning, collaboration, innovation, identity, inclusion and communication. The environment becomes the teacher.”
Student: Rhea Khoury Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: rhea.khoury@mymail.aud.edu
Third Place Award: Pedestrian Enclave by Dalia Qasem
“The concept of Pedestrian Enclave revolves around the nature of social gathering and interaction in the site. These encounters have a unique identity and result from multiple factors that include but are not limited to: overcrowding, vibrant street life, and the presence of low-income residents that feel a disconnect from the rest of the city.
“The goal was to integrate a structure into the chosen site to refine the pedestrian experience and create pleasant gathering spaces by inserting elevated platforms with different levels connected to the roofs of the existing buildings and create a central hub to host some of the missing amenities.
“Overall, this decreases the congestion on the ground level of the site, responds to the need for gathering spaces, and provides a more three-dimensional pedestrian experience as opposed to the flat urban fabric of the current area.”
Student: Dalia Qasem Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email:Dalia.qasem@mymail.aud.edu
Honorable Mention: A Child’s Place by Klara Bekhet
“A Child’s Place proposes a residential building typology that challenges the current standalone towers present in Dubai with a focus on how children perceive and react to residential spaces cognitively, physically and emotionally. The proposed project takes inspiration from the traditional Sha’biyaat housing.
“It tackles three main design approaches an abundance of communal spaces for frequent interaction between the children, the rejection of the vertical void created by elevator-dependent multi-story buildings, and the importance of child-scale for the younger residents to be able to perceive their homes and surrounding.
“The project aims to provide ‘homes’ rather than transitory sellable units, encouraging children to form a sense of place attachment to these spaces and the city of Dubai.”
Student: Klara Bekhet Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: klara.bekhet@mymail.aud.edu
Honourable Mention: Bridging The Gap by Zinah Al Asad
“Internally displaced people (IDPs) are continuously being viewed as a threat to a host society’s security, history, and cultural relationships, and are therefore excluded and restrained.
“The objective is to gradually merge IDPs into the urban fabric of their host city, rather than exclude them. Here, architecture creates a physical bond between the host society and the ‘new society’, the IDPs, and creates a link between the two histories. Moreover, it allows them to benefit society and themselves through the incorporation of self-build structures.
“The project comes to life through a continuous path that physically connects the three different plots while occasionally becoming the roof of recessed volumes. The path starts from an archaeological site to a final site of a refugee accommodation, with an intermediate museum in the second plot.”
Student: Zinah Al Asad Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Zinah.alasad@mymail.aud.edu
Sustainable Design Award: Plantae Tower by Basant Abdelrahman
“Our planet is in dire need of saving. Humanity’s eradication of nature has had a devastating impact on every aspect of our lives, including our health, population and wildlife. Nature is targeted for its non-renewable fuels, which has continued to contribute to the heating of the planet and has caused severe climate change.
“This should concern every human since it affects animal ecosystems, food production and essential biodiversity. To save our planet, we need to focus on alternative energy resources. There have been many surges in technology and advancements that have helped find solutions other than using non-renewable fuels as sources of energy.
“The main goal of my project is to raise awareness of these emerging integrated innovative technology and help visualise a sustainable building community. I propose to design a tower that advertises a biofuel-producing architecture. It will become a beacon of hope for a sustainable future and will raise awareness about the crisis of climate change. The purpose of the tower is to educate people about the necessity of protecting the environment.”
Student: Basant Abdelrahman Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Basant.abdelrahman@mymail.aud.edu
Cultural Design Award: Tentmod by Noor AlHashemi Cultural Design Award: Tentmod by Noor AlHashemi
“Dubai is one of the most luxurious cities in the world, but around 90 per cent of its population are migrant workers who earn 19 dollars a day. This brings up the obvious reality of Dubai being a city built just for the rich while there are people who are in poverty.
“The city is known for being the melting pot in the middle east, and so it has residents from different incomes, nationalities, and most importantly, different religions. Unfortunately, all of these aspects create classism between the poor, the middle class, and the rich. TentMod was inspired by a mosque – there is a harmonious interaction between the poor and the other classes during the five prayers.
“I aim to create a Ramadan tent-inspired project that everyone can enjoy together. All classes, religions, and nationalities of the city can come together in union to build the temporary structure of the tent during the month of Ramadan while enjoying the structure during the rest of the year.
“This project creates a sense of unity and harmony between people while forming a connection between the occupants and the project. Furthermore, TentMod is designed to be placed and built on any site beside a mosque since it is designed to be adaptive. This characteristic will help in spreading the awareness of community and culture that comes with Ramadan tents.”
Student: Noora AlHashemi Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Design Studio X Email: noora.alhashemi@mymail.aud.edu
Community Design Award: Goodbye Slumbai by Mahima Aswani
“The project revolves around the redevelopment of one of the biggest slums in the world, Dharavi, Mumbai, India. The objective is to provide the slum dwellers with more than just shelter. To create an affordable housing option and to improve their quality of life.
“The design of the project is adaptable, sustainable and incorporates social distancing between dwellers to prepare the project for future uncertainties.
“It is designed as a place where dwellers can work in workshops to live in a type of housing module while enjoying and expressing themselves in the public spaces. In addition to this, there are also several stalls on the deck, main market, research centre, reading square to support the dwellers and the strengthening tourism financially.”
Student:Mahima Aswani Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: mahima.aswani@mymail.aud.edu
Innovative Design Award: Vertical Voids by Yash Rochani
“Vertical Voids tackles the issue of expansive sprawl and urban verticality found in Dubai. It proposes to densify the existing urban cloud further, allowing people to live closer and avoid the need to commute. Densification is achieved by studying the negative spaces within the existing skyline of Dubai and proposing an infill development between the current urban fabric.
“A development built within the voids but does not connect to the urban tissue and instead floats above the existing urban fabric and suffices on itself. Densifying the neighbourhood above the grade level will help retain the existing infrastructure while creating new horizontal connections between the existing and new buildings. Thus, creating various levels of interaction besides the ground level.”
Student: Yash Rochani Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: yash.rochani@mymail.aud.edu
Professor Award: Convergence by Hiba Al-Sharif
“The project objective aims to connect the Jebel Ali religious complex with its surrounding and create a unity between the existing religious buildings. Instead of an isolated island of religious buildings, the project will form a series of connections between one building and another and between the complex and its adjacent surrounding.
“Here, the concept converges the religious buildings and considers the ‘in-between passages’ under the canopy theme. This will be achieved through enhancing these passages by integrating culturally shared architectural elements, and by elevating the passages, so connecting the complex with the new cultural park.”
Student: Hiba Al-Sharif Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: hiba.alsharif@mymail.aud.edu
Professor Award: Ori-folds by Maghi Alkhen
“This project aims to be taken into consideration in any country that has faced war – one that aims to build its future again. As a first step, I have taken the country Syria as a proposed location.
“In this project, I aim to try and heal the country step by step back to its life-filled days. The healing process adapts to the concept of “mitosis”, where the healthy cells start to divide themselves to cure a scar on the skin.
“The three phases of healing start with the shelter. It provides a temporary structure that is fast to build, low in cost, and safe for the people who have lost their original homes.
“The second phase focuses on transforming these temporary residentials into permanent ones and creating full residential units. The third and final phase that coexists with phase two is to conceptually include some Arabic and Islamic inspired elements within the final outcome.”
Student: Maghi Alkhen Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Design Studio X Email: maghi.alkhen@mymail.aud.edu
Professor Award: Excavation by Nawara AlMandeel
“The kingdom of Bahrain is one of the wealthiest islands in the Arabian Peninsula with cultural monuments that date back to the Sumerian and Assyrian times. It is the heart of captivating temples and forts that bind the kingdom together for its profound culture.
“It is essential that all demographic slates of people get to learn and embrace the kingdom of Bahrain’s profound cultural heritage and get inspired to revive what is lost. The project is a livable, sustainable educational cultural centre, hosting multiple activities that would invite all demographics worldwide to visit and immerse in Bahrain’s true architectural identity.
“The former would include contemporary livable areas such as resort hotels that overlook museums and refabricated historical monumental sculptures and exhibition areas.”
Student: Nawara AlMandeel Course: ARCH 502 – Architectural Design Studio X Email: Nawara.almandeel@mymail.aud.edu
Students Award: Oneness by Ahmed Hussein
“When designing this project, we were told to try to relate to things we love or to our hobbies, so the first thing that came up to my mind was football or sports in general. The goal is not only to facilitate people with utilities but also how to make sports better and more accessible.
“The title of this project is oneness. I have chosen a site in a relatively poorer neighbourhood and managed to facilitate them with a sustainable hub that connects the neighbourhood that includes a stadium and a hospital. This zero-carbon emission hub offers not only sports facilities but also offices, galleries and restaurants for all types of people to connect.”
Student: Ahmed Hussein Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Ahmed.hussein@mymail.aud.edu
People’s Choice Award: Platform by Ayesha Changaai Mangalote
“Platform is an integrated rehabilitation program while activating, reflecting and incorporating new functions that would revive the central importance to the city’s fabric. The project is built around the primary goal of ordering integrated public spaces. These public spaces go from the ground floor to the leading platforms and roof gardens leading to roof gardens.
“The main intention here is to create a hub between the Gold Souq and the ultimate site, which acts as a surprise element or a hidden gem. The site includes old buildings, demolished and certain included and revamped and connected to new extensions to give continuity while ensuring a clear hierarchy and articulation of space.
“The main struggle for this project was its dense urban fabric, and the knitted area had to be well planned. That’s where the modularity of the project comes in. Balconies with roof gardens and the park below give the place a revamp where public and private realms converge. Social and physical boundaries are dissolved when different groups can meet on the ground floor of the central park.”
Student: Ayesha Changaai Mangalote Course: ARCH 502, Architectural Design Studio X Email: Ayeshasuha.changaaimangalote@mymail.aud.edu
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and The American University in Dubai. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
