“Brilliant, inspiring…seeing young people so keen and enthusiastic towards Engineering was wonderful.”
David Waboso, London Underground
Since its launch in July this year, Class Of Your Own’s “Hotel Underground” challenge has seen secondary school students across the country transforming a London Underground tube station into a unique James Bond themed signature building design and 3D model of a hotel for the fictional character.
This was Bond with a difference; years of thrilling antics, blowing up buildings and speeding around in fast cars and boats, left him a very big carbon footprint and very little time to really engage with his public. He wanted to put his planet and his people first, and needed an extraordinary hotel…
The challenge successfully inspired budding architects, interior and landscape designers, facilities and project managers, quantity surveyors and structural and building services engineers, enabling them to use their digital skills and team-working ability with their real life peers. Industry professionals from some of the biggest and indeed the smallest organisations across the country put themselves forward to lend their expertise, many of whom are already supporting COYO’s school workshops and Adopt A School scheme.
AND WHAT A TRANSFORMATION
Thirteen teams made it through to the regional semi finals, meeting some tough criteria and hitting the online delivery deadline of 6th November. It was left to experts to select just two teams to go through to the finals at last Thursday’s Sleep hotel design event.
But there could be only two finalists and experts chose Heathcote School and Science College in Chingford and St Ambrose Barlow RC College in Salford.
Following a two-day prize which included a back of house tour of the Radisson Blu Edwardian Sussex Hotel and presentations from the Group’s design and engineering specialists, the two schools went head to head in the grand final at London’s prestigious SLEEP event, last Thursday 27th November.
Presenting on the stage in front of a packed audience of hotel industry professionals, the two teams were fantastic, demonstrating a clear understanding of process and methodology. But most of all, they had to impress judges David Waboso, Director of Capital Programmes at London Underground, Martin McDonnell, CEO of Soluis Group, Eugene Staal, Senior Vice President, Technical Services of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and finally Pete Baxter, Vice President and Head of Autodesk UK.
Judges were looking for sparks of ingenuity, real creativity and thinking outside the box. They wanted clear articulation of the whole design and process, and also, critically, that teams had remained true to the brief with particular attention to sustainability and community and overall end user satisfaction.
Winner – ’00Heaven’, by St Ambrose Barlow RC High School, Salford
The 00Heaven, a hotel proud of its British tradition that is sustainable, modern, stylish and welcoming to the community. The hotel’s luxurious facilities include a spa and gym, swimming pools to suit all ages, a park, bowling alley and sports hall.
Design highlights include the ‘secret’ Casino Royale. Sustainability features include sourcing only local materials, making the most of natural light through multiple skylights and curtain walling, using solar energy and water recycling and filtration for showers and toilets.
Runner Up – ‘The Subterranean’, by Heathcote School, Chingford
The Subterranean; an exciting new luxury hotel with a mission that centres around three key elements; luxury, community and sustainability. The hotel offers amazing facilities including an underground pool, spa and bowling alley and community features such as a crèche, clinic and conference suites. Sustainability features include a water-recycling shaft, educational aquarium and underground conservation area.
This from judge Pete Baxter, summed up the reason we do what we do. We couldn’t put it better ourselves:
“We were really glad to be able to support the Hotel Underground project by providing our software for the teams to use to create their designs. With very little help, these students were able to use our tools to a very high standard and it was a real eye opener to see how easily they took to it.
The two final projects were so impressive in terms of their creativity and enthusiasm, and it just shows the level of design talent out there amongst the next generation. Speaking to them afterwards it was also hugely encouraging to hear so many of them keen to pursue careers in engineering, building and design!”
Both schools did fantastically well to come so far, and are now planning their own celebration events to mark the occasion.
Thank you to our Hotel Undergroud Sponsors
