University of Gloucestershire Wins BIID Student Design Challenge 2025

The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) is delighted to announce that the winner of the BIID Student Design Challenge 2025 is the University of Gloucestershire! The tenth annual event took place from 3rd–6th November and was open to final-year Interior Design and Interior Architecture degree students from UK universities. The competition was held online for the fifth consecutive year, providing accessibility to students nationwide and aligning with the BIID’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in the interior design industry.

This dynamic event offers students invaluable learning by challenging them to respond to a client’s brief, collaborate in teams, and present to a panel of professional interior design experts. This year, the seven teams participated: Arts University Plymouth, De Montfort University, University of Portsmouth, University of Gloucestershire, London Metropolitan University, University of Plymouth, Sheffield Hallam University, and University of East London

Each design team, consisting of 5-7 students nominated by their course leaders, competed on behalf of their institutions. The 2025 brief focused on designing a visitor centre in a woodland setting. The conservation charity client had been working to improve access to the woodland and the centre therefore needed to reflect the wide diversity of it's users. Additionally, the students had to consider sustainability and communicating the charity's overall mission. The big question we asked was: 

How can your design spark curiosity, shift behaviour, and turn a woodland visitor centre into a movement for conservation and cultural connection?

The teams had three and a half days to develop their proposals remotely in line with the brief, and each was assigned a practising BIID Registered Interior Designer as a mentor for guidance. This year’s mentors included BIID Registered Interior Designers Michael Schienke, Debra Kacher, Simon Mcilwraith, Iliada Rossi, Anna Bennett, Rina Patel, and Chloe Bullock.
 

Final presentations were recorded and judged by BIID President Liz Bell, President Elect and Student Chair Anna Burles, and Past President Angela Bardino. Judging criteria encompassed adherence to the brief, addressing the client's needs, innovativeness, drawing quality, and presentation excellence.

The judges awarded first place to the University of Gloucestershire during an online Awards Ceremony on Monday, 10th November. The winning team, mentored by Anna Bennett was recognised for their well-considered and professionally delivered presentation. The team showed strong spatial awareness and commercial sensibility, and communicated a thoughtful design. 

Well done to the University of Gloucestershire team Ellie Prosser, Lauren Barker, Sofia Innocent, Ashleigh Abbey, Elodie Pratt, Rheanna Gliddon- Brown, Clea Howard and thank you to their course leader, Andy Bradford, for nominating them. 

Additionally, Sheffield Hallam University and Arts University Plymouth were awarded highly commended prizes for their projects, which skilfully addressed the clients’ requirements and were both excellently presented.

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