Winners of the BIID Student Drawing Competition 2025 announced

The BIID is delighted to announce the winners of its national Student Drawing Competition 2025

• Digital Category Winner Gemma Rivas Lopez, Kingston University 

• Hand Drawn Category Winner Finn Karp, University of Gloucestershire 

• Hybrid Category Winner Freya West, University of Gloucestershire 

Digital Winner 

The Green Hub Community by Gemma Rivas Lopez, Kingston University

Judges’ comments

Gemma's design stood out for its clarity of vision and direct response to the brief. The Green Hub Community proposes a space that champions sustainability, education, and community cohesion, drawing inspiration from local environmental initiatives in Kingston.

This entry successfully delivers a meaningful and well communicated community concept - contemporary, relevant, and professionally presented.

Gemma's comments

"This award really motivates me to keep growing and doing my best as I continue developing my work with dedication and passion."

Hand Drawn Winner 

Eastgate Market Café – The Wave by Finn Karp, University of Gloucestershire 

Judges’ comments

Finn’s hand-drawn proposal reimagines a neglected historic site in Gloucester as a lively café, integrating beautifully with the existing ruins of Greyfriars. The result is a sensitive, place-based design that offers a gentle intervention in the urban fabric. This piece demonstrates the enduring value of hand-drawing in conveying mood, material, and spatial identity with immediacy and warmth.

Finn's comments

"I am truly honoured to have won the drawing category amongst so many other passionate designers and architects. Hand drawings and sketches will always be a big part of my life and seeing that work being recognized is just incredible. Thank you to the judges and organisers at BIID for this opportunity."

Hybrid Winner 

Aperol Arcadia by Freya West

Judges’ comments

Freya’s vibrant submission delivers a joyful and highly marketable design. Aperol Arcadia uses bold graphics and hybrid rendering techniques to create a strong visual identity for a hospitality concept that is both accessible and appealing. A fresh and impactful visual, demonstrating that simplicity and confidence can be a winning combination.

Freya's comments

"I’m very grateful to the British Institute of Interior Design for this recognition, to receive such kind and thoughtful feedback from an organisation I admire has been incredibly encouraging, giving me more motivation to develop and refine my work." 

Highly Commended

The judges also awarded Highly Commended accolades to:

Digital

Lucy Davis, Arts University Plymouth 

Judges comments

Lucy’s design tackled the challenge of wellness in a stressed and overstimulated world. The Sombre Spa draws from global traditions and sensory design to offer a space for mental and physical recovery.

Hybrid

Charles Powell, University of Gloucestershire 

Judges comments

Charles impressed the panel with a well-considered design that cleverly balanced graphic detail and conceptual depth. His entry draws the viewer into an immersive biophilic world that is both coherent and visually expressive.

Judges

The competition has been created to celebrate student talent from across the UK and is free of charge to enter to ensure that it is as inclusive as possible. A Judging Panel of BIID Registered Interior Designers was convened to judge the winners. The 2025 judges were:

•    Lester Bennett
•    Verity Coleman
•    Chris Dezile
•    Dee Gibson
•    Angela Bardino (BIID President)
•    Anna Burles

With thanks to our venue partner, Silent Gliss, for hosting our judging day.

Entries were judged anonymously, and the judges were asked to assess entries on creativity and originality, technical ability, and the ability to communicate a design idea or concept. The winners of each category receive a cash prize of £500 each.

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Congratulations to the winners and to all the entrants who submitted to a very high standard!