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Hat-trick of success for interior designers
Marcus Haworth, who graduated this summer with a first class degree in Interior Architecture and Design, took away the prize for best overall student project in the show at Free Range - the UK's largest art, design and fashion show - held at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, London. The show is considered the country's number one platform and launch pad for creatives looking to make an impact on their chosen art discipline.
This is the third year that Leeds Metropolitan has taken part in Free Range and Marcus's award makes it a hat-trick for the University in scooping the top prize at the exhibition. Fellow recent graduate Harry Wright was also shortlisted in this category.
Marcus commented: "The Free Range exhibition was a fantastic experience. It was great being part of a national exhibition and was a good platform to display our projects to potential employers. Winning the prize was exciting and made me very proud.
"Now I have graduated I am taking two and a half months to explore China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. When I return in October I plan to look for an internship in London."
Joan Love, Senior Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design course at Leeds Met, said: "For Marcus to be first out of 438 students from 28 UK Interiors degree courses is an outstanding and ambitious achievement. We are extremely proud of our students winning this highly regarded award for the third consecutive year, reflecting the extremely high percentage of students attaining top degree classifications on our course. We have had an exceptional set of degree results again this year with 40% of our graduating students attaining a First Class Honours degree so the bar was set particularly high; all our students supported and inspired each other."
Marcus's project consisted of a proposal to reanimate a derelict, isolated mill just outside Appleton Roebuck, near York. The new space is dedicated to stargazing and includes an observatory, sky space and accommodation for both professional and amateur astronomers. Strategically the proposal recognised the important and iconic silhouette of the mill on the North Yorkshire landscape. The former mill building is 'off grid' and the proposed sustainability strategy recognises the importance of the sun and wind as a source of energy for the proposed scheme.
He added: "The design was based around the concept of rotation, inspired by both astronomy and the movement of the sails of the original windmill. A series of long exposure photographs of the stars revolving across the sky was the origin of the concept. The effect is created by the earth's continual rotation beneath the stars and when photographed shows circular streaks in the sky which suggest a passage of time.