Two LJMU graduates have had their designs for a social space commissioned by the City of London.
Chris Dove and Craig Mitchell, both graduates of the School of Architecture, beat large competition to have the designs come to life in Cheapside just a short distance from St Paul’s Cathedral.
Dove told JMU Journalism: “We were both extremely proud to have our design selected by the panel of judges. We had worked incredibly hard on the scheme to that point so it was great to get some recognition.”
Both students had to come up with designs for a public bench that had to be made from a single block of quarried Portland stone.
Dove added: “The design started life as a sketch and rough model in our studio.We were always taught that in competition work, if you have an idea, run with it, and we’re glad to say we did.”
The idea behind their design, a series of blocks getting progressively taller, was to represent the ways London continues to grow after overcoming disasters such as the Great Fire and World War blitz.
Dove told JMU Journalism: “The idea started off as a conversation about the history and events that have happened in London, and the fact that despite all the catastrophic damage it has seen, the area has continued to develop and grow.”
They both believe that the Architecture course at John Moores University gave them the right training to be able to be successful in this project.
Chris said: “The tutors at Liverpool John Moores encourage you to talk about design and theory right the way through the process, which encourages you to understand the subject matter, and who you are presenting it to.”
Working on this project has given both the confidence to be able to carry on this success into their professional careers. Mitchell said: “We have learnt a great deal about construction and regulations throughout this process, so it’s been great to have delivered a project.”
Chris and Craig both hope this success continues in their careers as they finish off their final three years of study at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow and Kingston University London, respectively.