First year (Level 4) students 2010 Live Project Awards

Judging the Level 4 2010 Live Project was really tough. There were five clear winners this year – so an extra two prizes have been awarded.

Congratulations to the following Level 4 Students:

FIRST PRIZE
William Lee

SECOND PRIZE
Lia McDonald and Natasha Chitolie

JOINT THIRD PRIZE
Chloe Brazier and Christie Hollstrom

The prizes were awarded on Monday 31st January in the Level 4 studio. Our thanks to Mrs Gerrie Aitken MA BA Stanford for sponsoring the Live Project.

Designersblock Visit

We were delighted to have Rory Dodd from Designersblock to visit us at the Red Shed yesterday.

A bit about Designersblock:

Founded by Rory Dodd and Piers Roberts in 1998, Designersblock have produced over 50 major festivals of design, architecture and illustration in the UK and internationally. In doing so they have pioneered the use of transitional architectural spaces for the production of city festivals. Many events take place in derelict or unused buildings throughout city centres. These events, when harnessed to their potential, act as a catalyst for creative engagement and growth, stimulating urban confidence and renewal. Cities recognise creativity as a key driver of regeneration, either through the use of existing underused spaces or in conjunction with bold new planning and construction initiatives.

http://www.verydesignersblock.com/

We had a lovely lunch with the Textiles team followed by a tour of the Red Shed Textiles and Surface Design Studios and the Wood, Metals, Ceramics and Glass, Plastics, Jewellery, Furniture and Upholstery workshops. 

Thanks for coming to visit, Rory!

Welcome back Orawee

We would like to welcome back one of our 2010 graduates from the BA (Hons) Textiles and Surface Design course, Knitted Textiles pathway, Orawee Choedamphai. Orawee has just started her Masters degree with us, dividing her time between the Textiles & Surface Design studio in the Red Shed and the Furniture Design studio.

'Fourth Dimension' project, Orawee Choedamphai, 2010:

The MA in Textiles & Fashion Product at Bucks provides a creative environment that encourages students to challenge design and making conventions through materials, investigation, experimentation, and innovation. Students are encouraged to find new ways of merging design and function, particularly in the context of textiles and fashion product.

Orawee has also recently been awarded the Crafts Council Prize and the Debbie Bliss Award at the UK Hand Knitting Association Awards 2010:
http://www.bhkc.co.uk/data/student_textile_awards_10.htm

We very much look forward to seeing Orawee's new work

http://www.orawee.com/  

Greenshed Group

GREENSHED Group 

Sustainability is becoming vitally important within our lifestyles and even more so within design, so we thought it was about time that the Redshed took a look at its own area to see what improvements we could make. This is how Greenshed was born, the sustainability group for the Textiles and Surface Designers at Bucks!

Our aims are:-

- Cut down on waste and focus more on recycling

- Cut down on unnecessary electricity, e.g. lighting the building when not occupied

- Share and swap materials

- Looking at aspects of the course which could be more sustainable e.g. paperless documents

- Informing others of the ways to create more awareness of a more sustainable way of working within design.

The Redshed is starting to see the benefits of Greenshed’s plans around the studio as the share boxes are in full operation and more paper recycling bins have appeared in each area of the studio. In the near future there is to be a large notice board put up for the latest updates, information on sustainable design and for students to give feedback for even more improvements.

Greenshed hopes to inspire the students towards a sustainable way of working within the studio, being considerate with the usage of light, heat, water and waste but also helping students consider what materials they use in their work and to be inspired by current sustainable design.

by Rosie Thompson

3rd Year Surface Design