The Sir Patrick Geddes Memorial Trust Awards Scheme

2010/11 Awards || Application Form

Previous Awards: 2009/10 Awards || 2008/9 Awards || 2007/8 Awards

SIR PATRICK GEDDES MEMORIAL TRUST
STUDENT AWARDS SCHEME 2010-2011

The Trust is delighted to launch its Student Awards Scheme for the coming year.
We had a very good response last year and hope that those who participated felt it was worthwhile. Such was the standard of entries that the Trust decided to award an extra prize in category 2. However, no entries were received in category 3 (prize for the best first year student). Hopefully that gap will be filled this year and the prize of £50 claimed. The closing date for entries is Friday 19 November 2010.

Course leaders are therefore invited to send in examples of students' normal course work that reflects some aspect of the Geddes principle of "place, work, folk" in as many categories as they feel appropriate. As well as the chance of winning a monetary prize, there is also the prospect of participating in the Scottish Government's Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning ceremony at which the Planning Minister usually presents the awards. The day's event, to be held on 10 March 2011, allows Trust members to meet students and hear more of their studies and plans for the future. There is also the chance to learn of those whose work has received national recognition by the Scottish Government. The results of the Geddes' prizes are suitably recorded in the "Scottish Planner" and in the RTPI Scotland and the Trust's website.

Full details of the scheme are set out below, but if there are any queries do not hesitate to get in touch with mikeaffolter@btinternet.com and he will be pleased to help.

The Trust looks forward to receiving a bumper crop of nominations for the prizes available from regular and new participants to the scheme.

August 2010

Objectives
· To raise interest in and awareness of the Patrick Geddes principle of "Place, Work, Folk"
· To promote the importance of place and its relevance to-day
· To identify examples of distinctive and sustainable places in which to live and work
· To embed Geddes thinking in the basic training of planners and of those in related disciplines.

Eligibility
· Undergraduate and postgraduate students studying Planning, Architecture, Geography, Geosciences or Environmental Sciences at a Scottish university.

Categories of Award
· Category 1 An award for a piece of course work reflecting the Geddes principle of
"Place, Work, Folk"
· Category 2(a) An award for the best dissertation by an undergraduate student reflecting some aspect
of the Geddes principle
· Category 2(b) An award for the best dissertation by a postgraduate student reflecting the Geddes
principle
· Category 3 An award for the best first year undergraduate student

Submissions
· Category 1 submissions may be made by Departmental nomination, or by a student directly
· Category 2 submissions should be by Departmental nomination only
· Category 3 submissions should comprise one nomination only by each Department on behalf of an
individual student

Form and Content
· Any format is acceptable for Category 1 and Category 3 entries provided it is manageable and
presentable for consideration by the panel of judges. Any supporting /illustrative material should
preferably be in the form of images on CD-Rom in jpeg format with image resolution of at least 300dpi.
· Category 2 entries will comprise copies of dissertations as submitted for graduate and
postgraduate degrees.

Source of Work
· Previous academic year and winter term/semester of the current academic year.

Judging
· An independent panel of judges will be appointed by the Trust to whom recommendations will be
made on the awards under all categories.
· Final decisions on the awards under each Category rest with the Patrick Geddes Trust.

Awards
· Category 1 £100
· Categories 2 (a) and 2 (b) £100 each
· Category 3 £50

Timing
The closing date for entries this year will be 19 November 2010.

Awards' Ceremony
The Scottish Government have kindly supported the Trust's awards scheme since its inception by agreeing that we can join their Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning ceremony. This is planned for 10 March 2010 at the Hub, Edinburgh.

Application Form

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August 2010

2010/11 Awards

	Top Left: Scott Abercrombie Above: Sarah Hamilton Left: Angus Cowie

Results of the Sir Patrick Geddes Memorial Trust Awards Scheme for 2010-2011

On 10 March 2011, as part of the Scottish Government's Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning, John Swinney, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth presented certificates to the winning entries in the Sir Patrick Geddes Student Awards scheme for 2010-2011.

This year the entries were received from architectural students all of which fell in category 2 of the competition. Because of the range and quality of the entries the panel of judges decided exceptionally to make all of the awards in this category, with one in category 2a and four in category 2b.

The category 2a award (best undergraduate dissertation reflecting some aspect of Geddes principles) went ot Scott Abercrombie, Architecture Department, Strathclyde University for his work entitled "Food and the City. Can Glasgow's future be influenced by Cuba's past? He used the model of urban farming in Cuba to explore the scope for transferring such an approach to Glasgow city. The judges felt this was a bold attempt to address the global issue of food production through local action illustrating well the Geddes maxim of "Think global, Act local" and suggesting that there could be benefits for Glasgow in terms of economic activity, well being and environmental regeneration.

In category 2b (best postgraduate dissertation reflecting some aspect of Geddes principles) the judges awarded four prizes, all to students from the MSc Architectural Conservation course at the School of Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art. The first award went to Angus Cowie, the second to Michael MacDonagh, the third to Sarah Hamilton and the fourth to Victoria Webster.

The judges warmed to the work of Angus Cowie entitled, "The influence of Patrick Geddes on Professor Percy Johnston-Marshall" This focused on the latter's efforts to apply Geddesian thinking in his work on the redevelopment plans for the university of Edinburgh on the south side of the city. Angus showed a clear understanding of Geddes and the difficulties encountered in reconciling that approach with the social, economic and institutional pressures of the day in a live project.

In his work on "Finding new uses for Irish Demesnes: issues of authenticity and integrity" Michael MacDonagh described the historical context, development and decline of demesnes and how over time attitudes towards them changed opening up the scope for their conservation. He addressed the fundamental questions as to whether and how it may be possible to identify acceptable alternative uses for demesnes notwithstanding strong pressures for radical change and break up of demesne lands.

Sarah Hamilton's work on "Glasgow's School Board Heritage: the challenge of conservation" provided a comprehensive survey and assessment of Glasgow's rich heritage of school buildings their history, distinctive features and treatment over the years. The judges were most impressed with the thoroughness of this work and the persuasive way in which Sarah argued the case for ways in which this resource of past identity could be adapted to future usefulness provided the will and resources exist to conserve at least some of them.

Victoria Webster's dissertation "The (avant-garde) Architecture of Peter Womersley: a technical appraisal of the architect's endeavour for aesthetic advancement and an approach to conserving his work" explored, in the first part, the architect's efforts to combine the use of new techniques, technology and materials to produce buildings of aesthetic form. The second part looked at the maintenance problems of such new forms with particular refence to the Nuffield Transplant Unit at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh. While acknowledging the inspiration and aesthetic qualities of many of Womersley's public buildings, Victoria brought out the maintenance and conservation difficulties that have arisen in conserving them, and also offering interesting insights into the views of his clients and contemporaries.

The Trust is indebted to the Scottish Government for their continuing support in letting us participate in their national awards ceremony and thank those universties that particpated in this year's competition The Trust is also pleased to congratulate the students and their course leaders on the excellent, varied and interesting work submitted.

The Trustees are pleased at the continuing level of interest in their awards' scheme and most grateful to all those universities that submitted entries. The work received varied from the regional to the local scale and was of a particularly high standard. Our thanks go to the Scottish Government for their continuing kind support in letting us join their national awards' ceremony and also to our sponsors, The Economic Development Investment Group, for their financial support.