Students’ walled garden idea wins Forgotten Spaces prize

Hillsborough College won £1,000 in resources in the Forgotten Spaces Schools Competition, run by Hallam University and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Yorkshire.

Their design for a walled community allotment in Firth Park was praised by competition judges for its “beautiful” presentation and simple, well thought-out idea.

The schools competition followed Forgotten Spaces 2011: Sheffield, which encouraged architects to come up with ideas that found new uses for the region’s forgotten spaces.

Second prize of £750 went to a group from Thomas Rotherham College for their “ambitious” idea for a disused pub building next to their college grounds.

All schools who registered for the competition were given the chance to take part in a workshop led by Hallam architecture academics and students. The workshop enabled them to discuss their ideas for the competition and receive advice on how to develop their design proposals.

Hillsborough student Joe Bartley, who came up with the concept, said: “We all worked on the different parts of the design. I’m hoping to do interior design in the future and this project will look really good in my portfolio.”

Norman Wienand, head of the department of architecture, and head judge said: “This competition has really captured the imagination of the children involved and I am sure we are looking at the work of the architects and planners of the future.