Pair take first prizes
TWO architects have received the first prizes from ProCon Leicestershire’s Pam Allardice Bursary.
The bursary was created in honour of ProCon co-founder and chairman of 20 years, Pam Allardice, who died in 2020.
It was established last year to celebrate the contribution Pam made to the property and construction scene, with the money raised at last year’s Leicestershire ProCon Awards.
Three ProCon judges – Sarah Grocock from rg+p, Alfie Simons from Corporate Architecture and Andrew Smith from Leicester City Council – assessed the work of students at this summer’s De Montfort University art and design degree show.
The winner was Adam Lambert, 20, from Oxford, who designed a centre for designer makers in Leicester’s Cultural Quarter.
His Leicester Creative Display Hub sought to provide craftspeople with exposure to the public and to other cultural organisations to provide opportunities.
Sarah, who chairs the steering committee of ProCon’s Emerging Talent membership, said: “All the students made our judging extremely difficult. We had a lot of debate as we studied their projects.”
Andrew, the council’s director of planning transportation and economic development, said: “Adam’s was a really great response to the site’s context and about how people would use the spaces.”
Adam, who won £250, said: “I’m delighted. I was nervous before but really feel like my hard work has paid off. I’m very proud of winning.”
The other £250 prize was awarded to Year 2 student Rob Dargue, whose project, Grow, looked at an older people’s day care centre in Beaumont Leys.
Rob envisaged a building that had minimal visual impact, with views through to hedges and a garden.
Kate Cheyne, head of the school of art, design, architecture, at De Montfort University, said: “ProCon offered our students a wonderful opportunity to present their projects to an external panel of practitioners.
“The discussion of the shortlisted individual projects that emerged gave the students a refreshing insight as to how their ideas are received.
“They all gained much from this experience.”