NDSA Student Award Symposium - Shortlisting Process
A working group comprised of members of the committee was formed to undertake the judging and shortlisting.
In order to try to best understand the full extent of each project and examine the intent behind the designs as much as the visual material, repeat visits were made to the shows. Tutors were spoken with in an informal capacity to understand the framing of the respective briefs, wherever possible.
University of Nottingham & Nottingham Trent University adopt two very different means of brief provision, bringing challenges to the judges’ collective efforts to make assessments on equal footings.
A prize is an assertion of what is to be considered exemplar, that which is to be held in high regard, what is important. We felt it was imperative to ask firstly “What is important and by who’s definition?” before proceeding. The Working Group have placed the NDSA Values & Principles (as outlined on ndsa.org.uk) at the centre of their judging, while factoring in parameters such as design intent, aspirations, context, spatial justice and others.
While highly crafted models and beautifully detailed drawings are often the lure of any degree show, this is not the focus of the Working Group’s attention.
This is not to diminish the endeavour or prioritisation of other areas of interest in architecture and architectural education as pursued by students or advocated by tutors. It is hoped that the projects and students shortlisted reflect the aims and aspirations of the NDSA for the Built Environment.
To date, over 50hours of judging and review time has been invested by the Work Group in examining the students work.
Advise and input has been sought from academics at NTU, UoN & other institutions.
The work group have met at regular intervals to keep sight of judging criteria and to disseminate information obtained from the universities, their respective students and academic staff.
Those involved include: Ayesha Batool, Josh von Fragstein, Michael Hodgson, Paul MacMahon & Rory Wood, photographed below.
L-R: P. MacMahon, A. Batool, R. Wood, M. Hodgson & J.von Fragstein.
Photo by Lamar Francois