New entrance canopy will be based on a student’s design

Developers of St Edmunds House, who are turning the former county council offices into new apartments, have teamed up with architecture and design students at UCS in a competition to design a new entrance canopy for the building.

The red brick former offices in Rope Walk, Ipswich, originally purpose-built for Suffolk County Council, are being turned into more than 70 new town centre apartment homes.

The first phase, of 42 apartments, is due for completion during July when the first residents will be able to move in.

Ross Carroll, director of developers Crown House Homes, and estate agents Palmer & Partners, each offered £500 to make up a £1,000 prize for the winning student or team and linked up with Interior Architecture and Design course tutor, Dr Liana Psarologaki, to present the competition as a challenge for her university students.

He said: “We wanted to get the local community involved with what we are doing.

“We wanted to get the students to come up with architectural designs. I have always been passionate about great design and the students have worked very hard on the project.

“The scheme is going incredibly well and there are only a few left now.

“I am very impressed with all the students’ designs.

“We have chosen one of the designs - it is based on cost, practicality and the timescale. It needs to be completed by August.”

Students on the architectural design course worked individually and in teams to come up with their individual schemes.

Course tutor Dr Psarologaki said: “The students have been so hard-working and enthusiastic about this.

“It is great for them to be working on a real project - something that is going to be built.

“They were very excited and worked very hard over it.

“It counts as course work and it counts as a live work project as well. It is a real construction project.

“We are going to be exhibiting all of the entries in September in a special exhibition at the Waterfront Gallery.”

“It will be built by then,” added Ross.

The final chosen design is going to based on work by student Jean-Pierre Ada.

Course tutor Dr Psarologaki joined UCS in December.

She is a senior lecturer at the UCS university and course leader for Interior Architecture and Design.

She is originally from Greece, the island of Crete, and is a professional trained architect and also an artist, who produces large scale installations, merging architectural design with artistic concepts.

Last summer she presented a solo show - Cryptopology which was in the crypst of St Pancras Church in London and she has further projects at the design stage, she said.