Silke Gruner, a student undertaking the new Graduate Diploma in Urban Design and Place Shaping with the Department of the Built Environment, was shortlisted for the Urban Design Group Student Award 2011. Her shortlisted scheme was an urban design proposal for the proposed Civic Centre in Wivenhoe. The three other nominated students schemes (masters student theses) were submitted from throughout the United Kingdom.

On Wednesday 2 February 2011, the Urban Design Awards took place in the prestigious and historic setting of 61 Whitehall. As the Urban Design Group's first large-scale awards event, it was a truly momentous occasion and a real celebration of current urban design exemplars. The assembled audience from around the United Kingdom and beyond witnessed prizes awarded in six categories with the evening compered by Rob Cowan.

 

Extract from the Student Entry

'The Civic Square is based around an outdoor public space. This space will serve as a central hub within the town, and will fulfil the function of a 'town square'. Buildings are arranged around this central space to create an enclosure that clearly delineates the public area. These buildings will also define a clear public route to link the High Street with the playing fields. Entrances into the civic buildings will be off this central square. The buildings around this square and link route should reflect the character and style of the existing surrounding buildings, thus visually linking the new development with existing street scenes around the site'

left to right Andrew Claiborne Silke Gruner & Gil Lewis.

The staff within the programme area were very impressed by the scheme entry, developed as part of her studies for the module, Site Studies and Urban Design. To be in the top four of post graduate urban design students is a great achievement for Silke and Anglia Ruskin University, bearing in mind that the other competitors were undertaking masters courses. Silke has now completed her studies for the one year Graduate Diploma Course and we wish her well for the future. For further information on the Graduate Diploma in Urban Design & Place Shaping, please contact the Pathway Leader, Dr. Dellé Odeleye.