AJ Student Prize 2023 nominees revealed

We are delighted to reveal all 100+ entries to this year’s AJ Student Prize, showcasing the work of architecture students and universities across the UK

The AJ Student Prize, now in its sixth year, celebrates the talent of students completing undergraduate and postgraduate architecture courses. Submitted by tutors of ARB and RIBA-accredited programmes, the entries are listed alphabetically by university name (see table below) alongside key data from each school.

Community is the word mentioned time and time again among the entries. It’s now the norm that student projects are distinctly community-centred. But it also reflects a recognition in the industry that is filtering down to university level: that architecture is about so much more than the ‘architect’; rather it is a product of our communities, of collaboration and of listening.

The Waterside Workshop by Luke Collinson, MArch graduate at the University of Reading

Many of this year’s briefs were set in reaction to the crises of our era: housing, cost of living and, above all, climate. But the student projects remain optimistic, looking to the future rather than the past. And they aren’t utopian – and for sure aren’t dystopian. This cohort of students may well be anarchistic and wildly innovative yet they remain largely realistic in their approaches.

There seems to be a recognition that ‘luxury’ projects are no longer of importance, and neither is teaching students how to design them. The emphasis, rather, is on changing our world for the better and finding new ways of practising that address the looming shadows of climate crisis.

Play at the Playtower by Kristiāna Genca, BA (Hons) Interior Design Environment Architectures graduate at Ravensbourne University London

All entries are available to view online for free, with each including the student’s description of their project plus a short citation from their tutors. Prizes will be awarded in three categories: undergraduate, postgraduate and the Sustainability Award (to be published on 22 September), which highlights the students’ responses to social and environmental issues.

The 2023 judging panel includes returning judge Ed Fowles of Feilden Fowles, Betty Owoo of Be First and Rachel Hoolahan, sustainability co-ordinator at Orms. Sponsored by Marley, the AJ Student Prize celebration event will be held on 12 October 2023 at Perkins & Will’s offices at 150 Holborn, London – click here for free tickets.

The nominees and schools

Click on the school name to view student work and school information

View all the entries here

School	Region	Undergraduate nominee	Postgraduate nominee
Anglia Ruskin University	East	Nicole Cook	–
Architectural Association	London	Liča Anić	Seonwoo Kim
Arts University Bournemouth	South West	Joshua Crooks	Edan Turner
Birmingham City University	West Midlands	Simran Mahmood	Andreea-Claudia Buzuloi
Cardiff Metropolitan University	Wales	Elaeth James	–
Cardiff University	Wales	Piotr Hejdysz	Megan King
Centre for Alternative Technology	Wales	–	Nina Xenitidou, Chris Da’costa, Waldo Olwage, Becca Illingworth, Luke Parmenter
Coventry University	West Midlands	Mohammad Zahidi	Nadezhda Semashko
De Montfort University	East Midlands	Jake Southcombe	Mehul Ashok Jethwa
Falmouth University	South West	Eva Meredith	–
Glasgow School of Art	Scotland	Jack Kerr	Antonia Haedlam-Morley
Kingston University London	London	Charlie Fox	Farah Anwar
Leeds Beckett University	Yorkshire	John Samuel Rigby	Johan Visser
Liverpool John Moores University	North West	Claudia Luca	Jareth Sigat
London Metropolitan University	London	Amalia Ribac	Jonathan Mortlock
London South Bank University	London	Aimie Cheetham	Uran Jerlija
Loughborough University	East Midlands	Lily Taamallah	Daniel Jordan
Newcastle University	North East	Tsz Ying Ella Hui	Senjeeven Mungapen
Northumbria University	North East	Tim Caswell	Sara Hurley
Norwich University of the Arts	East	Finlay Irvine	–
Nottingham Trent University	East Midlands	Elliot Whatling	Zana Kentish Brade
Oxford Brookes University	South and South East	Richard Evans	Eloise Collier
Queen’s University Belfast	Northern Ireland	Charlotte Henrich	Adéla Vagová
Ravensbourne University London	London	Kristiāna Genca	Sumaia Abbas
Robert Gordon University	Scotland	Calum McLeod-Petrie	Maxwell Wilson
Royal College of Art	London	–	Samuel Kumar
Sheffield Hallam University	Yorkshire	Tom Beckett	Chris Jenkins
The London School of Architecture	London	–	Elliott Wang
Ulster University	Northern Ireland	–	Amar Chekchak
University College London (The Bartlett)	London	Cosmin Ticus	Giorgos Christofi
University for the Creative Arts	South and South East	Jordan Edwards	Maksymilian Molsa
University of Bath	South West	Jamie Ferguson	Abbey O’Rawe
University of Brighton	South and South East	William Marr	Charles Palmer
University of Cambridge	East	Valeriia Chemerisova	Samuel Walton
University of Central Lancashire	North West	Phoenix Beardall-Tang	Michelle Jesse
University of Dundee	Scotland	Finley McCallum	Yavor Nedelchev
University of East London	London	Agata Nyckowska	Stephano Binoi Varikkanikkal
University of Edinburgh	Scotland	Arada Chitmeesilp	Gus Nicholds
University of Greenwich	London	Philipp Osmakov	Charles Truman
University of Hertfordshire	South and South East	Henrique Lemos	Lukshay Beegun
University of Huddersfield	Yorkshire	Connor Peel-Kelly	–
University of Kent	South and South East	Hui Wen Tan	Mohammed Alsafi
University of Lancaster	North West	Charlotte Pugh	–
University of Leeds	Yorkshire	Rachel Derricut	–
University of Lincoln	East Midlands	Alex Bussingham	Lois Revill
University of Liverpool	North West	Louis Swift	Vova Duniak, Aidil Bin Supaat Faizi, Chin Fung So, Yue Zhu
University of Manchester/Manchester Metropolitan University	North West	Takumi Miller	Yunqi Zhang
University of Nottingham	East Midlands	Myriah Curi	Andrew Paterson
University of Plymouth	South West	Tyler Youngs	Thomas Grimer
University of Portsmouth	South and South East	Andrew Pizzey	Daniel Dehghani
University of Reading	South and South East	Cameron Wilkie-Allan	Luke Collinson
University of Salford	North West	–	Daniela Atzori
University of Sheffield	Yorkshire	Yiming Zhou	Max Bridge, Dimitar Zhelev
University of Strathclyde	Scotland	–	Catherine Campbell
University of the Arts London	London	Stephanie Ng	Dilushanan Selvarajah
University of the West of England Bristol	South West	Adam Grover	Dulmini Perera
University of Wales Trinity Saint David	Wales	Nicholas Smith	–
University of Westminster	London	Adelina Ivan	Estera Badelita
University of Wolverhampton	West Midlands	Abrar Addahi	–