2008

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Winners of the RIBA ICE McAslan Bursary 2008 announced

Date:

12 June 2008

Press office contact:

Mina Vadon
T: +44 (0)207 307 3761
E: mina.vadon@riba.org


The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and John McAslan announced the recipients of the RIBA ICE McAslan Bursary 2007/08 at a reception held on 11 June 2008 at the RIBA.

Thirty nine applications were received from architecture and engineering students, graduates and newly-qualified practitioners committed to the progress of environmental and community issues in economically deprived areas in the UK or abroad.

The six recipients were allocated a total of £20,350, the highest amount since the scholarship was launched in 2004.

The bursaries were awarded to:

  • Dr Heather Cruickshank, who received £2,000 for the project "Community Infrastructure in Rural Nigeria"
  • Sophie Handler, who received £2,500 for "Alternative Seating Arrangements (for pensioners in East London)"
  • Ripin Kalra, who received £6,000 to revisit three sites in India affected by earthquakes and cyclones in the 1990s.
  • Asif Khan and Julia King, who received £3,000 for their project "Mass Sustainability: Zero Carbon Chair and School Desk".
  • Nikki Linsell, Article 25 who received £6,850 to work alongside The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)

The judging panel was extremely impressed by the quality and professionalism of the projects submitted and gave awards to 5 projects, where the focus is on improving or modifying the physical environment to enhance the quality of life for a local community.

John McAslan, who started the Bursary scheme in 2004 in partnership with the RIBA, said, "I am delighted to work with the RIBA and ICE once again to promote research in the field of Architecture in areas of the world that will see direct practical benefits by the tremendous hard work by these individuals and teams."

Notes to editors

  1. For further press information, please contact Mina Vadon in the RIBA Press Office on 020 7307 3761; email mina.vadon@inst.riba.org
  2. For further funding information please visit the 'Funding' section of the RIBA Education pages at www.architecture.com or contact John-Paul Nunes, Head of Education Projects on 020 7307 3604 or john-paul.nunes@inst.riba.org
  3. Detailed commentary of the projects:
    Dr Heather Cruickshank 's project "Community Infrastructure in Rural Nigeria" was d eveloped in partnership with  Engineers Without Borders UK. The project aims to construct a year-round access route connecting the remote villages of Dadiya, Nigeria, to the nearest markets and medical centres which are located on the far side of the Dadiya River. This will include a river crossing, several small stream crossings and improving the roads that link the villages to the crossing.

    Sophie Handler 's project about "Seating Arrangements for pensioners in East London," will develop a series of prototype cushions to pad out these alternative seats, bringing both a greater degree of comfort and status to these alternative elderly-specific sitting spots.

    Ripin Kalra 's project involves revisiting three sites in India affected by earthquakes and cyclones in the 1990s and to observe the long term developments after international assistance for reconstruction. This study will form the basis of training and teaching to ensure future humanitarian efforts towards reconstruction using professional and financial resources effectively on the ground with appropriate community-led development in mind.

    Asif Khan and Julia King's project "Mass Sustainability: Zero Carbon Chair and School Desk" investigates designing-in carbon neutrality at the level of the products themselves. Khan and King's aim is to design a carbon neutral chair and school desk which is capable of being mass produced at low cost. Their prototypes will be field tested at a primary school in East London and then implemented through a local production run for primary schools in Neno District, Malawi where the Clinton-Hunter Foundation is beginning a vast school building programme and require low cost, sustainable school furniture that does not deplete the existing limited timber resources in the country

    Nikki Linsell's project involves working alongside The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) a network of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from all regions of the world. She will assist in a self-build home for 10-15 trafficked and sexually abused young women in the suburbs of Orissa, one of India's poorest states. Her bursary is co-funded and supported by Article 25.

 

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