The top student architecture projects of the 2023 RIBA President's Medals

The Royal Institute of Architects has announced its slate of winners for the 2023 RIBA President’s Medals and Awards for Research.

The awards’ 187th overall edition was led by the RIBA Silver Medal winner, current Part 2 student Ellie Harding of the London School of Architecture. Harding’s project Nobody Wants to Live in a Care Home sensibly addresses the needs of "people with a today and a tomorrow, not just a yesterday" (as the London Assembly for Young-Onset Alzheimer’s refers to its patients) with an enabling design that adroitly considers both their families’ needs and the role of architecture can play in creating better spatial perceptions for those suffering with the disease.

RIBA Silver Medal: 'Nobody Wants to Live in a Care Home' by Ellie Harding (London School of Architecture)

“I am deeply honoured to receive the Silver Medal. I would like to thank RIBA and the judging panel for their recognition of this project, that seeks to improve the lives of people living with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. I was inspired by the lived experiences of a close friend, and I am proud to advocate for better spaces which support the whole family. It is an absolute privilege to be the first student from The London School of Architecture to receive this award, and I would like to celebrate my fantastic tutors, faculty and peers who make it a truly dynamic and forward-thinking place to study,” Harding offered in a statement.

Project abstract: "Architecture cannot cure Alzheimer’s. However, an architectural understanding of the spatial confusion associated with the disease presents an opportunity to radically reimagine a design approach for dementia spaces, prioritising quality of life and cognitive accessibility. This has been informed by the distinction between egocentric and allocentric spatial cognition: whereas a healthy brain takes egocentric, or point-of-view route-based spatial information, and forms an allocentric, or bird’s-eye cognitive map, studies of Alzheimer’s show this translation begins to break down, causing increased reliance on egocentric perception. This project asks how an architectural understanding of the effects of Alzheimer’s on spatial perception can be used to create better spaces for those living with the disease."

RIBA Bronze Medal and Part 1 Award for Sustainable Design: 'The Council for Ecosystem Restoration' by Kacper Sehnke (University of Westminster)

Harding was joined by RIBA Bronze Medal winner Kacper Sehnke, a Part 1 learner of the University of Westminster whose The Council for Ecosystem Restoration proposal called for an upcycled mass timber design to host space for the UN’s special rallying call in the Epping Forest outside London. 

The 5th RIBA Awards for Sustainable Design were given to Sehnke at the Part 1 level for the same Bronze Medal project and University of Bath Part 2 student Chew Shan Wei for The Udaipur Plastic School.

Project abstract: "Situated near Chingford tube station in Epping Forest, on a concrete-covered site occupied by the Connaught Tennis Club, the building's key objective is to remediate the ground, breaking down the concrete to promote regrowth of native flora and restore the local ecology. Recycled and upcycled timber elements from consumer objects and dismantled buildings are incorporated, while the building envelope utilises timber harvested from Epping Forest during its regular pollarding. These facades support vertical plant growth and provide habitats and nesting spaces. The design increases local biodiversity without contributing to deforestation, showcasing a sustainable approach to timber construction. As the building decays over time, it becomes a habitat for wildlife, with materials decomposing into the ground and merging with the landscape. Throughout its lifecycle, the project embraces regenerative principles, combining technical and biological circularity strategies, and prioritising habitat restoration."

RIBA Dissertation Medal: 'Poems from the Patient Patient \ Finding Amor Fati' by Chloe Shang (Royal College of Art)

The RIBA Dissertation Medal was awarded to Chloe Shang of the Royal College of Art. Shang also received the 2022 RIBA Wren Insurance Scholarship to support her studies and is the first Royal College of Art student to receive the Dissertation Medal.

Shang said: “It is an amazing honour to be awarded this year’s Dissertation Medal. I want to say the biggest thank you to RIBA, the judges, my tutors, the RCA, and my loved ones for their encouragement of this work, and with whom I share the joy of its recognition. Writing about healthcare is challenging because it is seldom explored or celebrated in architecture school - yet these spaces have such a powerful opportunity to inspire hope and healing when we need them most. I hope that my work may continue to challenge perceptions, and instil enthusiasm, in the future of healthcare architecture.”

Serjeant Awards for Excellence in Drawing: 'A Habit of Building: Considering Labour, the Architect and the Construction Site' by Michael Becker (Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture) and Earth’s Breath: Wind and Wild by Chloe Dalby (Newcastle University)

Finally, the RIBA Serjeant Awards for Excellence in Drawing was awarded to Michael Becker of the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture in Part 1 for his drawing A Habit of Building: Considering Labour, the Architect and the Construction Site and Newcastle University's Chloe Dalby in Part 2 for Earth’s Breath: Wind and Wild.

RIBA President Muyiwa Oki said: “This year, perhaps more than in any previous years, we have seen entries that speak to what it means to be human on a planet in crisis. In this challenging context, students have dared to dream by elevating technical scale and ambition, by supporting physical and mental well-being, and by tackling the climate emergency head-on. I was humbled by the way that students so confidently addressed issues that stem from their own personal experiences and developed them into grounded and solid architectural proposals that are truly remarkable in their creative ambition, accomplished resolution, and above all, in their considerate ethical and social stance.”