Design the Future Workplace competition winners and their work revealed
The winners of our Design the Future Workplace competition can be revealed today after judges pored over hundreds of stunning entrants.
The Cambridge Independent teamed up with COEL, Bidwells, Allia Future Business Centre and Cambridge Science Centre for the competition, which invited young people aged 7-18 to show their ideas for new working environments.
Entries flooded in from across the Cambridge region and even nationally, with hundreds of entries received from more than 80 schools and from pupils being home-schooled.
A number of common themes emerged, such as ecology and sustainable design, plants and pets, collaborative space and investment in wellbeing.
And the ambition shown by young people as they imagined the future workplaces proved very impressive.
Designs were sent based on sports grounds, archaeological mobile offices, marine biology stations, police stations, hospital wards, banks, the video game Minecraft, environmental research sites, pet rescue centres, supermarkets, hair salons, gyms, fashion design studios, car showrooms, garages and the Prime Minister’s office, to mention a few.
The entries were judged by interiors, property and garden writer Lucy Searle, Cambridge entrepreneur Charles Cotton, Arm’s Martin Frohock, who is responsible for defining the future of the chip company’s workplace, and Wei Meng, director of operations at TusPark.
The judges said: “The entries have surpassed all of our expectations in delivering both artistic skill and a pragmatic thought process as to what is required for their workplace and what would be beneficial and enrich the employees’ working experience.
“It has been an extremely positive and uplifting experience to be exposed to the expectations and hopes of young people.”
The winners will receive the following prizes:
- 1st: £150 Amazon vouchers. Each first prize winner will also get to nominate a charity which will receive a £50 donation. The school/college of the first prize winner for each age category will also receive £150.
- 2nd: £100 Amazon vouchers
- 3rd: £50 Amazon vouchers
Editor Paul Brackley said: “The response to this competition is fantastic to see and the care, thought and imagination that has gone into the designs are incredible.
“I’d like to congratulate all the winners and thank the judges for their time.”
THE WINNERS
Age 7-11 years:
1st: Penelope March, 9, Haslingfield Primary School - judges described her work as “captivating and colourful”
2nd: Trinity Beesley, 8, Woodlands Primary School - for “a design which exudes energy and enthusiasm”.
3rd: Harrison Reeves, 10, of Histon & Impington Junior School - for “clever use of technology for wellbeing”.
Age 11-14
1st: Sarah Pascual, 14, of Swavesey Village College, for a “beautiful painting which invites you in”.
2nd: Bethan Elliott, 14, of Biddenham International School & Sports College - for her “empathetic thought process given to patients, visitors and staff”.
3rd: Maksymillan Kuwik, 13, of St Bede’s Inter-Church School - who “demonstrated an advanced and sophisticated level of technical drawing”.
Age 15-18 years
1st: Milo Davidson, 18, of Hills Road Sixth Form College - judges said the “application of design in different mediums was superb”.
2nd: Bella Tam, 17, of St Mary’s School - for a “level of artistry in a league of its own”.
3rd: Elia Madrigrano, 15, of St Bede’s Inter-Church School - for an “insightful understanding of the present and future requirement for homeworking”.
Read more
Meet the judging panel for our Design the Future Workplace competition
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