A team of second year students from Leeds Beckett University have won the Engineering for People Design Challenge prize, with their idea for a women’s community hub built of locally sourced natural and affordable materials. The annual competition is organised by Engineers Without Borders UK, a charity dedicated to inspiring the engineering community to serve all people and our planet better than ever before.
Over 6,500 first and second year students from universities across the UK and Ireland participated in the competition. The Grand Finals, held at the IET in London on 14th June, saw the top 37 teams pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges in a bid to win the Grand Prize of a £2,000 educational bursary.
The winners, an all female group of civil engineering students from Leeds Beckett University, wanted to improve the position of women in rural communities by designing a place where they could spend time and learn new skills in a safe environment. The building materials, including bamboo and enforced clay bricks, were easy to source locally and the team tested them in practice during the design phase, to ensure their suitability. The judges were impressed by their comprehensive approach to the challenges outlined in the brief, and commitment to creating a solution that would grow to benefit the entire community.
“It feels incredible to have won the Grand Prize,” said Lydia Williams: “Taking part in the competition was a really positive experience, from start to finish. We learnt so much about the importance of sustainable design and engineering, while also developing our skills in key areas such as teamworking, brainstorming and problem solving.”
“The Engineering for People Design Challenge is a real force for change,” added Charlotte Sutherland: “The global nature of the competition provided real insight into some of the major problems that the world is facing. On a personal level, taking part really helped to boost my confidence, especially when it came to project presentations.”
“The level of skill, commitment and insight we have seen today has been outstanding” said Katie Cresswell-Maynard, chief executive, Engineers Without Borders UK: “What the Engineering for People Design Challenge encourages students to do is demonstrate a real understanding of the social, environmental and economic implications of engineering, rather than just technical skills, and come up with some truly innovative ideas that could provide real benefits to people.”
To read more about this year’s winners and engage in the 2019/2020 Engineering for People Design Challenge, visit www.ewb-uk.org.
