Kim Pham
4 November 2016: A Tasmanian Oak writing desk designed and built by Year 12 Marist College student Niall Porritt has taken out the Industrial Design award and overall Faculty Scholarship in this year’s Faculty of Arts and Design Dean’s College Design Competition.
As winner of the Faculty Scholarship, Mr Porritt received $5,000 to put towards his studies, with the 18-year-old interested in studying a Bachelor of Architecture at the University next year.
-
The Tasmanian Oak writing desk designed by year 12 student, Niall Porritt. Photo: supplied.
“Architecture incorporates a lot of the things I’ve been studying and what I enjoy in terms of engineering and design and technology,” he said.
It’s the second year the competition has been run which encourages ACT and New South Wales senior secondary students to submit an example of their favourite work.
The submission can also be used to demonstrate their suitability for creative study at the University through the Portfolio Entry option.
Mr Porritt’s writing desk was designed for a school project with its inspiration drawn from the art deco design popular in the 1960s and 70s. The project took two weeks to design and construct.
“I was nervous entering the desk into the competition but my high school teachers encouraged me to put in a submission,” Mr Porritt said.
“I was shocked but excited to win two prizes. When I’m designing it doesn’t feel like I’m working, I find it really enjoyable.”
His entry was selected by a panel of judges including the Interim Head for Discipline Built Environment and Design Stephen Trathen who was impressed with the student’s aptitude for design.
“Niall’s work demonstrated a range of aspects important for design including: evidence of design process, consideration of refined detail within the final design, use of appropriate design skills and high level visual presentation and communication,” Dr Trathen said.
Overall the judges were impressed with the quality of work submitted by the students with the winners announced at the University’s Open Day in August.
“The entries represented the suite of knowledge, skills and design approaches that are transferable across the many professions within the built environment and design,” Dr Trathen said.
A list of all the winners can be found here.