Clean energy generation in the heart of a community and developing communities of ‘hope, help and care’ were two of the ideas delivered by students from the five universities that took part in our second student design competition.

Students from the University of Bath, University of Portsmouth, University for the Creative Arts, Birmingham City University and Anglia Ruskin University gathered at Make’s London studio on Friday to present their designs for a component of place for a vital city of 2030.

The competition began a few weeks earlier when the students participated in an intense full-day research and brain-storming session.

The day started with a tour of Make’s studio and a presentation from the Foundation on some of the work and research that they’ve carried out on vital cities. The teams were then given a theme to design around and spent the rest of their day working on their concept and design response to topics such as public transport, air quality, connectivity, health and technology.

Fast forward a few weeks and the students are back to present their refined work to a panel of judges including: Lee Mallet from Urbik, Richard Powell from Grosvenor, Mike Cook of Buro Happold, Make’s Cara Bamford and Peter Greaves, and John Prevc, FSF Vice Chair.

The top prize of £1250 was awarded to a team from the University for the Creative Arts’ Canterbury School of Architecture for their design on the theme of anxiety.

“The winning concept graphically illustrated anxiety in its multiplicity of guises,” said judge John Prevc. “Anxiety is not just one thing to all people, it’s different for everyone, and the team from Canterbury made physical a set of experiences in which anxiety could be reduced, for example water, greenery and the experience of movement. Their entry was well thought through and truly captured the essence of what a vital city should include.”

Judge Peter Greaves hands over the trophy to the winning team: Pacxha Bradey, Ben Ravensdale, Jamie Wilkes, Kale Bailey and Oliver Hall. Congratulations!