University of Portsmouth Sustainability Prize 2020

Date posted: July 23, 2021

Every year we present one final year Masters student from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Architecture with the ArchitecturePLB sustainability prize. The prize is designed to celebrate, challenge and explore concepts of sustainability. The prize is judged by a selection of the ArchitecturePLB team in conjunction with the student’s tutors. Due to Covid-19, the 2020 graduates faced a challenging end to their masters programme, however as ever, we were impressed with the quality of the work. The 2020 winner was announced at a virtual ceremony this week. Congratulations to Glyn Whibley, who has been awarded the prize for his final Thesis Design Project, A Promotion of Wellbeing: Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Centre.

Glyn’s design project for a Cystic Fibrosis Treatment Centre was inspired by having a personal connection to the illness and informed by his Thesis ‘Does Passivhaus Design Promote Wellbeing?’ Glyn has used Passivhaus principles to create a sustainable example of how hospitals could be improved. His design aims to create a home away from home and provide a healthier internal and external environment for patients. Built using cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor and wall panels, the design addresses the idea of minimising embodied carbon using renewable resources. The structure is wrapped in a dandelion-inspired skin of vertical timber fins which aim to soften the visual impact of the building but also address overheating issues and adding some protection from cold weather extremes.

We also look forward to reviewing the work of the 2021 graduates in the coming weeks.