Architecture Grad Students Earn Gold Mention in International Design Competition

 

University Park, Pa. – A project by two Stuckeman School architecture graduate students in the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture earned fifth place overall in the worldwide TerraViva “Easdale Ferry Office” Competition that welcomed entries from students as well as professional design practices.

Joshua Conroy and Paul Lanka, both master of architecture students, earned a Gold Mention Award for their submission to the prompt that challenged architects and designers “to envision a new ferry hub” that would enhance the arrival experience on Easdale Island, which is located along Scotland’s west coast. They were asked to renovate and extend the existing structures on the site, and to integrate the new office and waiting area into the rugged coastal landscape.

Titled “Harbor View,” Conroy and Lanka’s submission focused on the existing structure and its relationship to the site and expanding from there. According to the project description, “Since the project did not have a required square footage, the existing office became a guide for defining the scope of our proposal . . . the expansion reaches towards the harbor, becoming visible to travelers from Ellenabeich [a town located directly opposite Easdale Island] and the harbor inlet.”

The goal of their project, said the students, was “… to create a space that enhances the visitor experience [on Easdale Island] while avoiding the possibility of overstepping the impact of this new architecture on the island.”

According to comments provided by the jury, the Penn State students’ entry “… prioritizes architectural expression with a striking roofing volume.”

The international jury for the competition was comprised of: Stephen Roberts, architect and a lecturer of architectural design at Northumbria University in New Castle (UK); Nuria Vidal Domper, architect/urban planner and co-owner of the firm DomperCastells in Switzerland; Kefei Yan, urban designer/planner with Foster + Partners in London; and Maria Alejandra Icaza P., multidisciplinary designer and architect with Luis Pons Design Lab in Miami.

“It was very encouraging to receive external recognition of our work,” said Conroy and Lanka. “Being able to compete against a wide variety of other designers and architects speaks to the significance of the skills we have learned during our education at Penn State.”

Conroy and Lanka’s project, as well as the other winning submissions, can be viewed on the TerraViva website.