London Metropolitan University Wins the BIID Student Design Challenge

The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) is delighted to announce the winning team of the 2022 BIID Student Design Challenge is London Metropolitan University Interior Design, with their project ‘Urban Shore’. Held across three days from 21st - 23rd November, the digital competition was open to final year Interior Design and Interior Architecture degree students from Universities across the UK. The competition was held online for the second year running, to be easily accessible to all students across the country in line with the BIID’s strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The annual event provides invaluable experience to students in responding to a client’s design brief and presenting to a panel of professional interior design experts. The seven teams taking part in the challenge this year included eager student teams from University of Wolverhampton, Cambridge School of Art - Anglia Ruskin University, De Montfort University, Arts University Plymouth, London Metropolitan University (Interior Architecture), London Metropolitan University (Interior Design) and Sheffield Hallam University.

Each team comprised of 5-7 students, nominated by their course leaders, to compete on behalf of their university. This year’s design brief required the competing teams to design a co-living and co-working building for a variety of residents that promotes wellbeing, inclusivity, and sustainability. The dynamic designs were for a development of a former nursing home in Whitby, Yorkshire that needed to attract people wanting to live in less populated areas, but not miss out on aspects of city-living they are accustomed too. The teams were asked to consider a variety of key elements throughout the design process including the residents, eco-efficiency, minimising impact, communal spaces, location and culture change.

For useful external resources, the students were given access to the BIID Sustainable Specifying Guide and the BIID’s How to Create an Inclusive Design Practice guide.

The teams were then given three days to remotely develop their design proposal in line with the brief. Each team was also assigned a practising BIID Registered Interior Designer as a mentor to be on hand to offer advice, feedback on the designs and keeping them on track and on time.

The mentors this year included: Anna Burles, Run For The Hills, Debra Kacher, dk Interiors, Dee Gibson, Velvet Orange, BIID Director Liz Bell, Absolute Project Management, Nicola Holden, Nicola Holden Designs, Simon Mcilwraith, Collective Design and BIID Past President Lester Bennett.

Once complete, students then recorded their final presentations which were judged by BIID President Mathew Freeman, Freeman Studio, BIID Past President, Founder of interior design studio Tessuto Interiors and Author of the BIID Interior Design Project Book, Susie Rumbold and BIID President elect, May Fawzy, MF Design Studio. The judges were looking for inclusion of particular criteria including correctly meeting the brief, considering the needs of the clients, demonstration of innovative thinking, quality of the drawings and the overall excellence of the presentation.

After carefully assessing each design proposal, the judges awarded first place to London Metropolitan University Interior Design comprising of team members; Rebecca Polling, Gemma Rudguard, Nia Jones, Lorelei Petley, Rebecca Ho, Lauren Gowers and Chloe Davis, during the online Awards Ceremony on Monday 28th November. The winning team mentored by Dee Gibson, Velvet Orange was highly commended for the axonometric views which give a real insight into the design, showing good understanding of the utilisation and circulation. The judges were also impressed with the research and inclusion of sustainable materials and the team’s avoidance of any carbon releasing demolition work when repurposing the building.

BIID President Mathew Freeman commented: “The BIID Student Design Challenge is now in its seventh year and each year the calibre of talent, their knowledge, dedication and hard work reinforces the purpose for competitions such as this. It is a great chance for them to explore design, experience working with practicing interior designers, delve into sustainability and inclusivity, all under the watchful guidance of the UK’s only professional institute for interior designers. The brief exemplified how interior design has evolved over the years, particularly following the pandemic, which gave the students the opportunity to follow a brief similar to one they may see again in their future careers.”

Click on the play button in the image above to watch the winning submission.