Gursharan Randhawa, an architect and alumna of the Architecture and Environmental Design MSc course, has won the first prize ENVI-met GmbH UNI LAB Award for her project aimed at improving the environmental quality of urban plazas in New Delhi, India.
ENVI-met GmbH is a company which develops software used for environmental analysis and urban planning, and they established the annual UNI LAB Award to highlight the efforts of extraordinary students measuring and demonstrating the impact of urban design strategies and nature-based solutions, whilst addressing climate challenges.
The winners were selected by an independent jury of four outstanding international experts in the field of sustainable architecture out of 70 submissions.
Gursharan’s winning project is a toolkit which aims to improve the environmental quality of urban plazas in New Delhi and to revitalise the urban spaces through the implementation of strategies such as green spaces, façade control, roof covers, and materiality. New Delhi was chosen as the city of focus as it has a booming economy and ever-growing population, but the environmental impact of this rapid urbanisation is often overlooked.
The project’s interventions could be applied to similar urban areas in New Delhi which would have a major impact on the overall climate resilience of the city, and it could also extend to similar urban environments with similar temperature conditions. In addition, the study could provide a base for analysis under the Smart Cities umbrella in order to tackle existing impacts on the built environment and as a pilot case to be implemented in on-going projects.
Speaking about the award, Gursharan said: “The ENVI-met UNI LAB Award has been a great boost to my environmental studies. It is a proud moment, and I am grateful to my studio professors for their knowledge and guidance throughout the academic journey, and to Daniela Bruce, co-founder of ENVI-met, for giving me this platform to present my work.”
Speaking about Gursharan’s achievement, Dr Rosa Schiano-Phan, Reader in Architecture and Environmental Design and Course Leader for the Architecture and Environmental Design MSc course, said: “I am extremely proud of Gursharan winning the first prize in this prestigious and internationally recognised award. Gursharan has always been an incredibly talented and hardworking student and I am so pleased that the jury also recognised her talent by awarding her innovative and meaningful project.”
Find out more about Architecture, Interiors and Urban Design courses at the University of Westminster.
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