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Medway campus commended at awards night

The University played a starring role at the inaugural Medway Culture and Design Awards - an event which celebrated the best of the region's creative and architectural talent.

Two University buildings were chosen for special commendations from the judges, while students from the Creative Events: Design and Production course helped with the creation of the awards ceremony itself, which was staged on 27 November at Rochester's Corn Exchange.

More than one hundred nominations were received for the awards, covering a wide range of culture and design categories, including New Media, Heritage, Visual Arts, Fashion and Design and People's Choice. Commendations went to the Gillingham Building, within the New Building category, and the Pilkington Building in the Regeneration category.

Pilkington opened to staff and students in 2006 after being completely refurbished at a cost of approximately £8 million, and includes a 175-seat lecture theatre, an exhibition room, teaching facilities and The Venue café. The Gillingham Building houses fully-equipped teaching rooms, academic departments, a multi-media newsroom for the Journalism degree course and a new one-stop-shop student services area.

Professor Clare Mackie, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Medway campus, and Professor Tim Luckhurst, Head of the Centre for Journalism, presented awards on the night, while Professor Luckhurst and Gavin Carver, Course Director for Creative Events, helped judge some of the categories. Other judges included acclaimed architect and urban designer Sir Terry Farrell; the Dean of Rochester, the Very Rev Adrian Newman; and other experts from the disciplines of culture and design in the region.

Big winners on the night included an Outstanding Achievement prize for sculptor Paula Groves - whose work includes the Universities at Medway Boat Race trophies and medals. The recently restored Slip 3 - The Big Store, at Chatham's Historic Dockyard, scooped the Heritage Award.

The Medway campus has received a number of prestigious design and architectural awards, including the top prize in the Kent Design Awards (2007) for 'Building and Renovation', and a commendation at last year's Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards. The campus also received a highly commended rating by judges at the inaugural Regeneration and Renewal Awards (2007), while both the Drill Hall Library and the Medway Building were shortlisted for RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Awards.

Contact: N.J.Ellwood@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 1:43pm 16 December 2008