The entries have shown a wide range of interests in what the future workplace should include and their purpose. Adding a spark to the competition - organised by the Cambridge Independent In partnership with COEL, Allia Future Business Centre, Bidwells and the Cambridge Science Centre - there is now an amazing panel of judges eager to see how the next generation visualises the future workplace; their dreams and aspirations in the way they want to work.
Each judge brings a different element in their skill and expertise within the field of interior design and workplace innovation, logistics and planning. Here is a little bit more about each judge:
Lucy Searle has been writing about interiors, property, and gardens since 1990 and has worked at Your Home, Ideal Home and 4Homes for Channel 4. She also launched and ran Channel 4's flagship website, where for 5 years she worked closely with the channel's talent including Kevin McCloud, Phil and Kirstie, Sarah Beeny and George Clarke amongst others. In 2018, she was invited to take on the role of global editor in chief for Realhomes.com, taking the site from a small magazine add-on to a global success. When Future Publishing took over Time Inc, she was asked to repeat the success of Realhomes.com at Homes & Gardens – taking the website from a small concern to a global audience. Lucy has also taken on the editorship of the magazine.
Charles Cotton is a director of Frontier Developments the AIM listed computer games business and XMOS the semiconductor and software private company. He co-wrote two books about The Cambridge Phenomenon chronicling the evolution and success of this dynamic technology cluster. He is also involved in education as a trustee of the UEA-based American University of Sharjah and is a Fellow Commoner of St Edmund's College Cambridge.
Martin Frohock, previously working for Arm as UK & EMEA Head of Workplace and responsible for 29 offices in 22 locations. Martin has recently established a new design, technology architecture and data group - responsible for defining the Future of Workplace at Arm, and the delivery of smart/flexible buildings across the global estate - utilising their ecosystem and expertise married with the growing importance of effective workplaces.
Wei Meng, in his role as Director of Operations at TusPark, Wei has overseen the construction of 5 prime positioned buildings on Cambridge Science Park. He works closely with the tenants to source an interior design and fit out scheme understanding that the best research and development workspace creates traction for creative and lateral thinking, new ideas and new directions. TusPark is the largest science park operator in the world.
With lockdown still in place and half term around the corner, this competition provides a creative and fun project for youngsters with fantastic prizes to be won.
Here is a quick recap on the details of the competition:
Who can enter? Anyone aged 7-18.
There are three age categories:
Age 7-11 years at primary school
Age 11-14 years at secondary school
Age 15-18 years at secondary school/college
Prizes - Each age category will have the following prize allocation:
1st: £150 Amazon vouchers. Each first prize winner will also get to nominate a charity which will receive a £50 donation. The school/college of the first prize winner for each age category will also receive £150.
2nd: £100 Amazon vouchers
3rd: £50 Amazon vouchers
How to enter - We need a single drawing either free hand or by computer in JPEG format and a short write-up describing your design (no more than 100 words). Only one entry can be submitted per child. Remember to write your name, age, and the school you attend and a contact telephone number for a parent on your entry form.
Please send entries to marketing@coel.uk.com by Wednesday, February 24, 2021.
The prize winners will be announced in the Cambridge Independent on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.
Further details can be found here