Student Design and Sustainability Competition

Welcome to the The Concrete Centre’s Design and Sustainability competition - a nationwide challenge promoting sustainable design with concrete.

Entry is free and gives students a chance to develop essential skills, boost their portfolios and win a cash prize from the £3000 competition prize fund. The brief is aligned to ARB learning outcomes allowing straightforward integration into course curriculum and is accompanied by complimentary learning resources such as site plans, photos, videos and reading lists.

The brief

The 24/25 academic year's brief is to submit innovative sustainable designs for a re-imagined tidal flood defence at the Canvey Island sea front. Entrants are encouraged to be imaginative in their sea wall enhancements and re-imaginations and are given the option of two different site locations on the seafront.

Competition Downloads

How to enter

The competition is open to students enrolled in UK schools of architecture, landscape architecture and the built environment. Entries are invited from universities who are integrating the competition brief into their course curriculum. Students whose universities have not incorporated the brief into their teaching are also welcomed and will be considered.

First register your interest using the form below to enter. The Concrete Centre will then contact you with your unique entry number and instructions on how to enter and submit your work.

Key dates

Benefits for students

  • Free to enter
  • Cash prize
  • Boost for employability, portfolios and CVs
  • National recognition for winning students/universities
  • Development of essential skills and learning

Benefits for lectures 

  • Aligned to ARB leaning outcomes to integrate into course curriculum
  • Course material provided: detailed site plans, photos, videos and reading lists
  • National recognition for the winning university and students

Want more information? Email competitions@concretecentre.com with any questions.

Registration of interest

Please note that a registration of interest is not a commitment to enter.

To receive information on this competition, and future Design Concrete competitions, you will need to opt-in to The Concrete Centre enewsletters. You can unsubscribe from these at any time.
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Testimonials

"Thank you to Hannah Fothergill and Elaine Toogood for bringing this opportunity to students across the UK. Concrete is the most widely used construction material, and it is fundamental that our students not only understand the appropriate use and possibilities through exploring traditional and new methods but also have awareness and responsibility for how they implement their designs and ideas in the built environment. Elaine and Hannah, thank you for your brilliant support, materials and guidance." - Alberto Villanueva, Programme Director - Head of Architecture, Ravensbourne University London

“Entering a competition like this is so worthwhile as it provides you with an experience that you don’t always get at university.” - Sasha Farnsworth, A Coventry University 2024 prize winning student

Sponsorship

The competition is run and managed by The Concrete Centre and is sponsored by Cordek. Cordek provides a range of bespoke and complex formwork solutions for creating architectural features, finishes and shapes in concrete, including the construction of arches, columns, staircases, and ribbed slab soffits. Innovative thinking, engineering expertise, and state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, enable Cordek to solve a wide range of engineering and complex formwork problems. Cordek is committed to supplying the best quality, value solutions, which are supported by the highest levels of personal service.