CIOB: London students win leading construction award

CIOB: London students win leading construction award

CIOB: London students win leading construction award

University College London (UCL) has won this year’s Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Student Challenge 2009.

This year’s challenge required the students to act as land developers working to identify a suitable plot of land for elderly accommodation. The challenge consisted of a number of exhaustive exercises, which included producing a detailed written report on key factors required for a site to be suitable for accommodation. As well as a ten minute presentation to industry experts that covered recommendations for the proposed project.

Competing against nine other teams, the students from London impressed the judges with their proposal, which discussed the suitability of the area in which the team decided to locate the building and also the design features the accommodation would contain.

The Judging Panel included Tim Gilby and Neil Freeman from McCarthy & Stone, Bridget Boreham, CIOB Chief Operating Officer and Angus Foster CIOB Head of Branch Development.

Tim Gilby McCarthy & Stone development director said, “I was very impressed with the standard of the competing teams. The subject matter was unfamiliar to them and the ‘raw’ nature of the real life site data provided had not been modified to ease their task. Nevertheless their analysis and team work generated numerous points of key relevance that practitioners in this field deal with on a daily basis.

“Consequently, and at very short notice, the candidates produced high quality submissions and presentations demonstrating a very good grasp of the principal issues. They were a credit to their colleges and the Institute. This bodes well for the forthcoming generation of building professionals.”

Other teams to reach the final included: Inverness College, City of Sunderland College, Huddersfield University, Anglia Ruskin University, Mid Kent College, the Institute of Technology from Carlow, Birmingham City University, University of Bolton and Coleg Sir Gar from Wales.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Chartered Institute of BuildingThe Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) represents for the public benefit the most diverse set of professionals in the construction industry.Our Mission

To contribute to the creation of a modern, progressive, and responsible construction industry; able to meet the economic, environmental and social challenges faced in the 21st century. Our 7 Guiding Principles

· Creating extraordinary people through professional learning and continuous personal development.
· Promoting the built environment as central to the quality of life for everyone everywhere.
· Achieving a sustainable future, worldwide.
· Advocating exemplary ethical practice and behaviour, integrity and transparency.
· Pursuing excellence in management practice, and technological innovation rooted in evidence based science.
· Being socially responsible and working responsibly.
· Enabling our members to find an emotional resonance with the Institute; their success is our success.

We have over 40,000 members around the world and are considered to be the international voice of the building professional, representing an unequalled body of knowledge concerning the management of the total building process.

Chartered Member status is recognised internationally as the mark of a true, skilled professional in the construction industry and CIOB members have a common commitment to achieving and maintaining the highest possible standards within the built environment.

Further information is available by contacting Saul Townsend CIOB press and communications manager on 01344 630 766 – stownsend@ciob.org.uk.