National Student Design Competition 2009
Once again it was fantastic to see such a high level of work being submitted from around the states. The level of presentation was on the whole excellent, with a strong shift this year towards computer generated graphics. Artistic talent was displayed well through both hand rendered and CAD drawn plans. The high quality of graphic workmanship was impressive, but what set the winners apart from the other entries was the marrying of their style of graphic representation with creative and functional design.
The winners all displayed imaginative thinking in their work and also addressed the hypothetical client brief extremely well. There was functionality in the designs yet attention to detail was also apparent. Imaginative elements and shapes came into play. The designs were carefully considered to suit client and site conditions.
Overall the plans, elevations, perspectives and plant information were very well displayed. Some entries were let down by not addressing the brief adequately. With all of the entries it was evident that many many hours had gone into their preparation.
Trends amongst this year’s entries, but not necessarily the winners, included:
- Extending the decking to create a larger outdoor entertaining area.
- High ratio of hardscape to softscape.
- Positioning built structures/pools too close to the existing trees.
- Including many different features in the design, resulting in gardens with too much going on and confused.
- Long explanations of the design, including every element/feature, with little emphasis on the design intent or philosophy of the style.
We thank and congratulate all students for their efforts as well as their teachers for supporting the competition. Well done everyone.
| 1st Place Philip Norris Ryde TAFE, NSW |
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| 2nd Place Kieren Hills Ryde TAFE, NSW |
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| 3rd Place Michael Linsley Kurri Kurri TAFE, NSW |
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| Allan Correy Student Design Award Susan Latty Ryde TAFE, NSW |
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