A space for St Andrews News from the School of Art, Architecture and Design

The Student Housing Company is offering prizes for the best idea for student accommodation.

Date: 25 January 2014

The Student Housing Company is offering prizes for the best idea for student accommodation from the very people who will be using it in the future - those about to embark on a degree in a creative subject.

As students are now embarking on degree courses and attending interviews, accommodation is now an important part of your decision making. Perhaps leaving home for the first time or preparing to move to a brand new location, ideas of community and making new friends, sharing and companionship will be new and exciting prospect.

Since the redevelopment of the East End of London as a result of the Olympics, student accommodation in and around The Cass Faculty Art, Architecture and Design has improved and considered to be amongst the best in London. As a result, the Student Housing Company and The Cass have come together to work on future accommodation, looking after the students of the future.

Background

The Student Housing Company is coming to St Andrews.

As a part of our new 241 bed scheme in St Andrews, we are looking to make our first impressions something special.  We are therefore looking to create a reception and student common room with a difference. The common room and reception are the first areas a student would see when coming for a viewing or moving in.

Currently these areas in our schemes are designed from a practical aspect and we want to look at the interior design and style of these areas – whilst remaining functional.

The reception in a student residence is the hub of a site. Students use this area as a meeting point, to collect post, speak to staff, for viewings.

Staff use this area to meet and greet the public, parents of students and local further education establishments.

Brief:

You are asked to create a mood or concept board that identifies the spatial experience, considering furniture, lighting, textures, colour and pattern

You are asked to sketch or model your ideas looking at the 3 areas identified above, namely lobby area, post box and waiting area. You can use a range of techniques using traditional or digital methods of visualising and model making.

It’s important to show how the space might be used, whether it’s for socializing or focussed working areas, so remember to show the activity in your space...

Download the full competition brief.

Prizes

• Top ten designs will be displayed in our office in London and finalists will be invited to come and talk through their designs
• Finalists will visit to our Depot Point site in London which is under construction so they can see a build in progress
• Finalists to be announced : May 6^th 2014
• First prize will get £150 Amazon vouchers, Second prize £100 Amazon vouchers and Third prize £50 Amazon vouchers.
• Final ideas may or may not be displayed in The Student Housing Company schemes.

Submission details:

• Deadline 8th April 2014
• Please send a copy of you boards at 72dpi through email to k.newman@londonmet.ac.uk
• All finalists’ entries will be featured on The Cass website

Judges:

• Kaye Newman: Principal of Interiors, Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design
• Michael Upton: Academic Leader, Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design
• Sarah Linton-Walls, Student Housing Company
• Patrick Brill, Associate Professor, Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design