Three students nominated for RIBA President’s Medal

We have nominated three students to the RIBA President's Medals. Our nominations this year are Brikena Dunisha from the BA (Hons) Interior Design Environment Architectures course, for her project on circularity and food sustainability, Jaime Bravo BA (Hons) Architecture for his project on craft and adaptive re-use, and Yasemin Inani BA (Hons) Architecture for her dissertation on 'Militarised Architecture: Elastic and Dynamic Borders through the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.'

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that supports and promotes excellence in architecture. They aim to deliver better buildings, stronger communities and sustainable environments. The President’s Medal is an international award that is presented annually to current students or recent graduates. Established in 1848, the President’s Medal is considered one of the most prestigious architecture awards that a student can win. 

Each project conducted by the students delves into how sustainability could enrich communities, and underpins their creative process. Through their exploration of building new boat homes and urban ecology, our students were able to create concepts using innovation and construction, demonstrating how architecture can be used to enhance our environment, physically and socially.

For student Brikena Dunisha, her idea of an insect farm in Hackney Wick has been met with much positivity after developing the concept to help promote sustainability. Brikena details how the industrial multi-story building which has undergone a new transformation in Hackney Wick would be utilised by saying “it offers new skills and local employment for the Hackney Wick community.” The project has many social benefits as it “invites the local community in, so that visitors can see, taste and understand the potential of this new type of urban farm”.

In addition to this, the farm is able to turn local waste into a high protein food substance while contributing greatly to increased food security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The nomination is a great testament to the concept and work that Brikena has applied to her project “I feel overwhelmed and privileged that I have been nominated for the RIBA Presidents’ Medal” she says. “This has been a great accomplishment on my behalf after all the hard work that I have put in and I would like to show my gratitude to the tutors of Ravensbourne University for all their help and support throughout this journey.”

It is an amazing achievement for our students to be nominated for their respective RIBA awards and medals’ given the institutions incredibly high standards and we wish them the best of luck for their pending outcomes.