Student Looks Forward To Design Career

Media Release 15 December 2004

Award-Winning Secondary Student Looks Forward To Design Career

Canterbury teenager Cameron Hawke hopes to become one of New Zealand's top landscape architects - and his career is off to a promising start.

The 16-year-old Rangiora High School student was judged the overall winner of the Secondary Schools Design Competition at the 10th Anniversary Ellerslie Flower Show in Auckland.

The nationwide competition was open to secondary school students from Year 9-13 and was judged by Ellerslie's most-awarded designer, Karen Lowther.

Lowther, who also set the brief for the young designers, won the inaugural Ellerslie Flower Show Supreme Award for Design Excellence at the 2003 show.

She says she was impressed by the standard of all the entries this year, but says Hawke's stood out as a clear winner.

"Cameron's design showed maturity and confidence and he obviously has a natural talent for graphic artistry," she says.

"Landscape design is a rewarding creative industry and it's great that the Ellerslie Flower Show is able to provide an opportunity for secondary school students to have their skills recognised at such a young age. I hope it sets them on the path to a fulfilling career."

Hawke, who has just finished Year 11, plans to study landscape architecture at Lincoln University in Canterbury when he finishes high school.

The teenager's winning design included a dramatic water feature that he'd originally designed for a school project. "What I like about landscape design is that it combines the subjects of art and graphic design in an unrestrictive way," he says.

Hawke says winning the 10th Anniversary Ellerslie Flower Show Secondary Schools competition came as a complete surprise to his family.

"My parents didn't think I was going to win but they're very supportive and proud now," he laughs.

The 10th Anniversary Ellerslie Flower Show Secondary Schools Competition required students to draw design plans for a contemporary entertaining garden for two party-loving Auckland hairdressers. The clients' wish list included a built-in barbecue, a water feature, seating, paving, garden art and lush planting to provide privacy from their neighbours.

ENDS

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