London Metropolitan University student Priscilla Fernandes is the winner of this year’s Architecture Student Design Award. The judging took place at Guildhall this month (October).

The award was launched in 2006 by the City of London Corporation, Chichester stonemasons CWO and Portland limestone quarry company Albion Stone to introduce architecture students to stone by challenging them to produce innovative designs in it.

The winning design will also provide an opportunity for selected apprentice masons to develop their stonemasonry skills by producing it.

This year, 19 architecture students responded to the invitation to submit designs for seating for the Riverside Walk, part of London’s Thames Path, from Victoria Embankment to Tower Pier on the north side of the Thames.

The objective was to produce a striking, innovative, 21^st century seating design that would both enhance and complement the Riverside Walk.

Part of the brief was that it must be possible to make the design from a single block of Portland limestone, with or without slabbing and jointing.

It was also stipulated that the finished piece must be functional as a seat. And the students were told that other factors, such as weathering, safety and ease of maintenance, would be taken into consideration.

The Flowerbench design by Priscilla Fernandes consists of independent stone blocks, each containing intricate carvings of flowers and plants found along the Riverside Walk. Together, the carved stone ‘flowerbeds’ form a curved bench from which it will be possible to enjoy views both of the public space behind and out towards the River Thames and Tower Bridge.

Priscilla will attend the unveiling of the finished work by the Lord Mayor of London on Thursday 3 December.