A CHILTON Trinity School student has been named the overall winner of the Gravity Building Design competition by architect and TV presenter George Clarke.
The competition tasked entrants with designing eco-friendly houses using sustainable building methods and materials, green energy, and smart technology to meet the needs of future generations.
Students were asked to promote health and wellbeing, encourage a high quality of life, and ensure healthy ageing in their designs.
They were also asked to place emphasis on the community and the planet.
It was open to schools and colleges located near the site of the proposed Gravity Smart Campus in Sedgemoor and three age groups: 7-11, 12-15, and 16-18.
Alyssa Ghio was named the overall competition winner with her Pythagoras House design.
The challenge was designed by Clarke’s education charity, the Ministry of Building Innovation and Education (MOBIE).
The Gravity project aims to create a sustainable, connected smart campus to deliver economic transformation, a sustainable environment, between 4,000 and 7,500 jobs in green businesses, and up to 750 homes for the workforce.
The proposed 635-acre smart campus will house clean, large-scale advanced manufacturing industries, and be a place where people can choose to live and work.
The campus will be based on the former BAE Royal Ordnance Factory site.
The competition’s judges came from Gravity, MOBIE and Bounce Forward, a charity that provided participating schools with mental resilience training.
George Clarke, host of Channel 4 programmes Restoration Man, Amazing Spaces, and Old House New Home, said: “The communities and homes of the future will be lived in by today’s young people.
“That is why I am so excited to announce the winners of this young persons’ design challenge.
“From past experience, I expected to see amazing design talent and imagination come forward, and I was not disappointed. It was hard for the judges to choose the overall winner, age group winners and the runners-up.
“They were genuinely wowed by the standard of the work that these young people produced. The winners created some incredible and inspirational, future-thinking designs.
“The future of the built environment and homes is in great hands with young talent like this around. I can't wait to see what they do next.”
Winners in the other age categories came from Spaxton Primary School, Sidcot School, and Haygrove School.
Claire Pearce, Gravity’s director of planning and economic development, said: “Re-imagining the Gravity site ensures we can fully consider how we respond to climate change and, in doing so, attract international businesses to the south west.
“Occupiers require an accessible workforce so our approach of enabling a new era of clean growth together with dedicated homes for the workforce, within a campus and community is really exciting.
“We hope the design challenge has inspired young people about Gravity, and motivated them to aspire to learn, live and work in Somerset in the future”.
Gill Slocombe, deputy leader of Sedgemoor District Council, added: “The high quality of the competition entries demonstrates that young people are full of ideas about how we can create better, greener and smarter places.
“I would like to congratulate the winners and thank everyone who has taken part.”
Read more: Gravity launches design competition supported by George Clarke for Sedgemoor students
Read more: £50m cost of bringing rail link to Bridgwater employment site
Pictures: The winning designs in each age group
7-11
12-15
16-18
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