STUDENTS DESIGN AN OLYMPIC STADIUM FOR LONDON

STUDENTS DESIGN AN OLYMPIC STADIUM FOR LONDON Students from three schools in London are working on the school project of a lifetime - competing to design an Olympic Stadium for London's proposed 2012 Olympic bid. The competition is part of National Construction Week (3-10 October), which is a national campaign aimed at promoting careers in construction to young people. The winning design will be judged by a panel of leading construction industry figures and the winner announced at 3.45pm on Thursday 3 October at the Shaw Park Plaza Hotel, 100 Euston Road, London NW1. The winning team will receive a cheque for £1,500 for their school from CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) Chairman Sir Michael Latham. The brief for the students, working in three teams, is to design an 80,000-seat stadium for the 2012 Olympic Games that will have a life beyond the event. The students can choose any site in or around London but will have to prove they have taken into consideration factors such as accessibility of public transport and environmental sustainability. Arup Consulting, the international consultant engineering group contracted by the Government and the Greater London Authority to complete the feasibility study for London's proposed 2012 Olympic bid, have acted as professional mentors to the 16 students involved throughout the competition. Headmaster at London's Raphael Independent School (one of the three participating schools) Nick Malicka, says: "This has just been the most amazing experience for our students. They have really thrown themselves into this project and being able to call on industry experts such as Arup for advice has been fantastic. They have shared what they learned from working on major projects such as the Sydney Olympics and our students have really benefited from the opportunity to be involved in a project that requires analysis, creativity, problem-solving and teamwork. And presenting their design to a panel of professionals is also going to help improve their communication skills and confidence." more.... Students design an Olympic Stadium for London...2 The Olympic Design Challenge is being sponsored by Shepherd Construction, Arup Consulting, Marketing Works and CITB, which is organising National Construction Week in partnership with the construction industry. CITB Chairman, Sir Michael Latham says: "We've got more than 850 events happening across the country for National Construction Week this year and this is one of the most exciting. The message to the students is that the construction industry is not only about site work. It also requires experts in business development, marketing, strategic planning and communicating the benefits of a proposal. The winning team will need to capture the imagination of the judging panel on the day." - ends - For further information: Sarah Farraway Paul Bower CITB National Construction Week Project Manager Tel: 020 7367 9804 Tel: 07711 118388 Email: Email: info@ncw.org.uk sarah.farraway@citb.co.uk Notes to editors: · The schools participating in the Olympic Design Challenge are Raphael Independent School, Hornchurch, Essex, Finchley Catholic Boys, North Finchley, London and Hurstmere School, Sidcup, Kent. There are 16 students involved in total, aged 15 and 16 years. · The project has required the students to consider all aspects of a design bid, from the design itself, to environmental concerns and the marketing and communication of their proposals. However the project is purely a learning activity and their designs won't actually feature in any future plans for an Olympic Stadium. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/10/01/20021001BIT00820/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/10/01/20021001BIT00820/wkr0002.pdf