Thanks to Lindsay Mattinson, Chairman of RIBA IW for sharing details of the IW Young RIBA
RIBA Isle of Wight Branch have organised for the second year running a young designer’s competition to try to raise the profile of architecture, and the importance of good architecture in our everyday lives.
Most of us are born in a building, live in a building, learn in buildings, play on structures, work in buildings, socialise in buildings, and eventually die in a building. As a result, how buildings work and look is really important and we need to understand and appreciate what good architecture is.
Early impressions
As is outlined in the 2014 Farrell Review of Architecture & The Built Environment, commissioned by the Department for Culture Media & Sport,
“The way in which we shape our physical environment must be taught as early as possible in schools if we are to get across how critical the role of the built environment is to our health and wellbeing – socially, economically, environmentally and culturally.”
It includes everything from aesthetics and sustainability to “your home, your street, your neighbourhood, your town” where the smallest part, your home and your street, collectively make an enormous contribution to the future of our planet.
Architecture, the built environment and an understanding of “place” should be learnt at a young age in order that an appreciation of the built environment becomes part of out subconscious and we all strive for bettering it.
Young RIBA competition
So we have set about trying to promote an appreciation of the built environment amongst the general public on the Island, and what better place to start than the future generation?
The competition this year has been to get the youngsters of the Island involved in design and get them looking at the built environment in a fun and exciting way.
Designs for No Man’s Land Fort
We asked youngsters aged 5 to 18 years old across the Island to design a new and exciting use for the No Man’s Land Fort in the Solent. Asking them to turn a previously unused structure into something fun for everyone to enjoy?
We all know these iconic fort structures and they have become a part of the landscape we all take for granted.
In the past they have been associated with war, are quite formidable structures. No Man’s Land Fort is one of a chain of round forts built in the Solent. These were built in response to possible invasion by Napoleon III.
This threat eventually came to nothing and they were never used for their original purpose. In the First and Second World War the fort was used as a gun battery and searchlight base, and in WWII as an anti-aircraft gun platform. Currently it is being renovated to provide a new Spa, Hotel, Events Venue and film location….But can you design your own different and exciting use for it? Anything and everything was considered!
The youngsters had to get an idea of the location of No Man’s Land Fort, decide on their design, give it a name, and write two sentences describing the design
They then had to prepare a visual description approx. A4 square which could be in any graphic format – collage, drawings, 3D model out of any material or painting and we encouraged the use of all art materials and forms.
We received 127 entries this year doubling those received last year. The entries were split up into seven age groups for judging:
- 5 year olds
- 6 – 7 year olds
- 8 year olds
- 9 – 10 year olds
- 11- 12 year olds
- 13 – 15 year olds
- 17-18 year olds
The judging was carried out by Lindsay Mattinson & Andrew Talbot both practising Island Architects
The Judges were very impressed with the boundless enthusiasm seen in what was produced by the youngsters on the Island. The creativity was limitless and the youngsters had clearly had fun doing the competition. The judges were very impressed to see that children as young as five had been able to conceptualize in three dimensions so clearly at such a young age.
The 6-7 year olds entries were very mature, and it was wonderful to see how they had started with their conceptual sentence, expressed this in beautiful drawings and then seamlessly translated their idea into 3 dimensional models while still keeping the concept intact throughout. Huge range of imaginative ideas with presentation well thought out. Great strong ideas taken right through to completed 3dimensional forms, which shows maturity and great understanding of the brief. It looks like all these children had lots of fun and this shows in the work presented! Lots of bold colour used to create a great visual impact.
Independent thinking
The older children demonstrated independent thinking which resulted in creative solutions. They had done some beautiful drawings that had clearly taken a lot of consideration. The ability to conceive things in layers was seen in a number of entries.
It was fabulous to see the ideas of alternative energy being used and the sheer fun with fantastical ideas like chocolate fountains with giant strawberries floating in the Solent!
And this year having opened the competition up to the older age groups allowed some real young talent to show what they are capable of.
In some of the categories it was very difficult for us to choose the winners from such a high standard of entries, and this has been reflected in additional commendations being awarded.
We would like to thank the sponsors of this years prizes. First prize for each category this year has been sponsored by Mike Clare of “Clarenco” and is a trip out to No Man’s Land Fort and a guided tour around it this summer. All other prizes have been sponsored by Isle of Wight Attractions and English Heritage.
Winning entries
Winners are:
5 year olds
Joint 1st Place goes to:
James Lamb – The World of Teleporter’s: with his clever use of ceramics
Rene Mattinson – Barbie Toy Palace: with her fantastical idea, I mean who wouldn’t want to visit Barbie world in the Solent!?
6 – 7 year olds
Commendations go to:
Georgina Owen – Mouse Fort and Amelia Rahman – Swim with the Fish Fort
3rd place – Robyn Dyer – Pony School
Translation of the pony idea from a great drawing to the model was excellent. 3
2nd place – Bea Pink – Toy Shop
Good link between super graphics and model. Clear thought about the plan view as a form of explanation of how spaces were to be used.
1st Place – Angus Middleton-Leal – Swimming Fun Park
Explosion of fun, both on the drawing and the model. Great execution and it sounds like a wonderful exciting place to spend the day.
8 year olds
3rd place – Erin Horrix – Chocolate Fountain with Giant Strawberries – Chocolate fountain with giant strawberries in the middle of the Solent – what and idea!
2nd place – Laila Dilllan – Home with a Crazy Golf Garden – Nicely divided into areas where you can imagine living with the added bonus of an underwater experience if the weather is not great and crazy golf when the sun shines!
1st Place – Jon Banks – Abstract Fort Taken an abstract look at the shape of the fort and reassembled it in a very interesting and colourful way!
9 – 10 year olds
Commendation goes to: Albie Jones-Arnold (9) – Lighthouse with Crazy Music & Lights
3rd place – Zachary Shove (9) – Roller Coaster This one looks like so much fun, and what is even better you can go back over and over again in a continuous loop until you are exhausted is fabulous!
2nd place – Sophie Giraudo (10) – Kids Hotel The sectional cut through of the building to show the internal functions and ideas at the same time were clever. A fun idea and the fact that it is for kids only makes it even better!
1st Place – Charlotte Bromwell (9) – Sports Fun Day A great idea that no one else managed to convey as well as this. It was carefully thought out with different zones for different functions. It would have been exciting to have seen a 3d Interpretation of this concept.
11- 12 year olds
3rd place – Liesl Thomas (12) – Naval History Experience
2nd place – Lily Schenkel (11) – Sweetie Fort
1st Place – Bran Ross (11) – Animal Paradise
13 – 15 year olds
3rd place – Lauren Shaw- Yates (13) – No Man’s Eye The naval history experience was cleaver in that it took all those elements of what the Solent is all about and put it all in one place. If battle ships were able to dock up against it for the public to see, imagine how wonderful that would be?!
2nd place – Joe Foreman & Drew Macarthur (14 & 15) – Hotel on the Water The 360degree views taking in IOW and Portsmouth tied together with the spiral concept is a strong as an idea but it could have been taken to another level had it worked as a spiral coming out of the water so you get the underwater and the above water experience too. As a structure emerging from the sea with a corkscrew effect to the height of its scale would have proved very dramatic.
1st Place – Anya Hill (14) – Festival on the Water The music festival for music lovers had wonderful colour and the fact that they can all do as they like on this island of pleasure is something we would all like to conceive!
17-18 year olds
1st Place – Alister Webb – Cayman Island Well thought out in 3D and turned into something solid. An interesting project and well thought out. Great place to stop especially for sailors, could even change the rules to introduce a stopping point for the Round The Island Yacht Race……Something all sailors have only dreamed of, a place to get off the boat without leaving the water environment!
