Victoria students win design awards
Four Victoria University students have won at the 2014 Best Design Awards.
The awards, an initiative of the Designers Institute of New Zealand recognise outstanding graphic, interactive, product and spatial design.
Master of Architecture student Logan Swney received the Silver award for Best Spatial Design. His entry Mountain Market explores a unique architectural response to Wanaka which, in the past 30 years, has become increasingly suburban bringing with it standardised buildings driven by efficiency, and resulting in a disconnect between architecture and space.
Logan offers a solution that responds uniquely to the place, connecting a market, car park, accommodation and a juice bar, while also providing a public space with awe-inspiring views.
Logan’s project was created under the supervision of Sam Kebbell, a lecturer in the School of Architecture, who received a silver award in the Spatial Design category last year for his design titled Resn's Office.
Holly Bradshaw-Clegg, a third year Bachelor of Design Innovation student won the Bronze award for Best Product Design. Pascal Stool — a modern, simple and elegant stool that shapes to the contours of the body, activating an overhanging light when pressure is applied.Sitting down to read a book, getting comfortable, then realising she had forgotten to turn the light on sparked Holly’s idea. “I thought how useful it would be if when you sit down, the light turned on automatically,” she says.
Working under the supervision of Ross Stevens, a senior industrial design lecturer, and alongside Metco Engineering in Lower Hutt, the pinewood and metal stool was crafted using computer controlled cutting (CNC) manufacturing and many hours of labour.
“For weeks, I practically spent from 8.30am until 10pm in the workshop individually sanding hundreds of rods. A lot of hard work went into the stool,” says Holly.
Simon Crane also won the Bronze award for Best Product Design. Simon designed his entry C5 Aid Brace during his bachelor’s study at Victoria.
Student Adam Ben-Dror, received the Bronze award for Best Interactive Design with his project the Abovemarine—a mobile fish tank controlled by the fish's movement, which is tracked by a webcam.
This is the second year running that Adam has been recognised in the Interactive category. Last year, he and a cross-disciplinary team of media and industrial design students won gold for their project, Pinokio.
Also among the 2014 finalists was Bachelor of Architecture student Amelia Hoult with her project Duel Realities, and a number of other Victoria University graduates.
For more information visit Best Awards—New Zealand's Best Design.