Posted on 09 July 2012
Reaching for the sky with a vision of the future of education, Construction and Civil Engineering Higher National Certificate students from Guildford College showcased their rebuilding designs at the Vertical College exhibition.
The event was the culmination of a year long project which required the students to present their theoretical plans for redeveloping the College. It began with a selection process worthy of BBC’s The Apprentice, with groups forming and choosing names, team leaders and roles. They then proceeded to scope, research and develop the project, within a brief that allowed for only a limited footprint into which to fit the ‘new college’.
The resulting models and plans were judged by a team of staff at the College, industry experts and visitors to the exhibition, with Rustic Construction emerging as the Staff Choice for the Group Project Design and DB Associates winning Voters Choice. Other groups were Innovative Design, Distinct Design Construction and South East Construction Group. Designs took account of different elements including the environment, sustainability, building materials, natural materials, commercial uses and innovation.
Student Joshua Randall said: “It’s been a really interesting module, not least because it combined the talents of the Construction and Civil Engineering students. This allowed us to encompass and understand all the aspects of a project such as this including materials, structure and architecture. We began with a feasibility study and ended with a presentation to external architects. I currently run a building company with my father, G&A Construction, so the skills I’ve learned are invaluable. It’s great to win Voters Choice – a nice acknowledgement for all our hard work!”
Design Tutor Margie Kemp added: “I think it’s been a really good learning curve for the students in terms of learning to work as a group, bringing the project to life and learning about all the various elements. The result has been amazing and the projects have turned out beautifully, far above my expectations”.
For more information about our professional courses in construction go to: http://www.guildford.ac.uk/Marketing/ConstructionManagement.aspx