Local students take out gold and bronze
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
October
2008
Local students take out gold and bronze at the 2008 BEST Design Awards
Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) students Michelle Apperley and Verity Carroll were recently recognised at the 2008 BEST Design Awards, receiving gold and bronze for spatial design in the student category.
Described as the Oscars for New Zealand design,
the BEST Design Awards recognise excellence in spatial,
graphic and product design both within industry and student
categories.
In her final year of a Bachelor of Design
(Interior), Michelle Apperley was surprised to receive gold
for her work. “I was really proud to be a finalist, and
frankly, winning a gold stunned me a bit. I am definitely
going to get my certificate framed.”
Apperley’s
gold-winning submission to the BEST Design Awards is titled
‘Altered Vista’. Her goal was to design a safe solution
for urban pedestrians crossing a busy inner city traffic
island and install an aesthetically pleasing sculpture
within an urban location.
“My work is designed to be experienced”, said Apperley, “whether walking past, or through, the sculpture has been designed to create framed views of the trees and surrounding buildings. It’s an attempt to connect rather than separate, by offering a new definition of an urban space.”
Verity Carroll, also in her final year of a Bachelor of Design (Interior) at WelTec, won bronze in the spatial design, student category. Her work proposes a solution to the shortage of comfortable and affordable student accommodation in Wellington with a design that incorporates converted shipping containers into individual student apartments.
“Tertiary students have limited funds but still need to be provided with a place to sleep, to eat, and to wash, but most importantly a place where they can create their own environments, meet new people and socialise” said Carroll.
The students
credit WelTec teaching staff Tony De Goldi and Gill
Matthewson, with providing the right support and advice.
“Deciding which of our projects were best suited as
entries was tricky, our tutors gave great support and
advice” said Michelle Apperley.
The future for these
design students looks bright. “My goal is to find a place
within an architectural firm where I can use the skills my
degree has taught me and continue my development” said
Apperley.
“Design is such a huge field and it is always changing with new technology that makes the possibilities really exciting. One of my tutors once told me - design is a field where you can get paid to play” said Apperley.
For more information on WelTec’s Creative Technologies programmes, please contact WelTec on 0800 WelTec (935 928) or visit www.weltec.ac.nz.
ENDS