Kent Architecture Student Matthew Downey wins RIBA prize

Matthew Downey, a student at the Kent School of Architecture has received a prize for excellence from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Congratulations to Matthew Downey, a student here at the Kent Scool of Architecture who has received a prize for excellence from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Matthew, 24, was the winner of the Diploma Prize at Kent. He received his prize from Derek Nicholson, Chair of RIBA West Kent Branch at the School of Architecture’s recent End of Year Show. The Prize is designed to celebrate the talent of architecture students at the University.

RIBA has stated that the judges were impressed with Matthew’s project, which was a design for Millennium Mills – a derelict 20th century flour mill in London’s Docklands. Matthew proposed a new building as a trade centre that would integrate a mixture of societies, combined with a centre for monitoring immigration. ‘By integrating different technical approaches adopted from a culture’s native way of life, such as their traditional construction methods and materials, the cultures can come together to represent a community.’

Matthew has just completed his MArch Part 2 course towards qualifying as an architect at the University of Kent and we wish him a long and successful career.