THE work of talented built environment undergraduates was showcased at the recent Women in Property regional Student Awards, held in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
19 students from universities across Scotland took part in the regional awards, representing disciplines including engineering, architecture, surveying, and planning.
The event was described as a ‘unique opportunity’ for construction and property employers to meet talented students at a time when the sector is facing the challenges of skills shortages and an increasing demand for sustainable new housing, commercial development and infrastructure.
Leanne Hill, chair of Women in Property Northern Scotland, said, “We seek out the brightest and best students studying on built environment degree courses, asking them to present coursework to us, so they have the experience of an interview in front of industry professionals. Employers then get to meet them at the Awards event, ahead of the competition, when we announce our regional winners. It works well for everyone.”
Mairi Murray, chair of Women in Property Central Scotland branch, added, “A huge thank you goes out to our judges for giving up their time and investing it in this amazing group of young women. I know that I speak for the judges when I say that the day was utterly inspirational, and we were blown away by the candidates. Choosing a winner from such a wealth of talent was no easy task.”
The Women in Property Student Awards in Scotland are sponsored by Curtins in the Central region and Pinsent Masons in the Northern region.
Because of its wide geographic reach, the Central Scotland judging panels were held over two days, with two winners announced. They are:
- Tallulah Bannerman, studying architecture at the University of Edinburgh, whom the judges described as ‘engaging, eloquent, well-spoken and confident, very impressive’
- Eilidh McGuigan, studying architectural studies at the University of Strathclyde – the judges described her as ‘very engaging and personable, her project was sensitive and effective’.
A third student, Mari Helland, also studying architecture at the University of Edinburgh, was awarded Highly Commended.
In Northern Scotland the winner was announced as Lilyana Mladenova, who is studying civil & environmental engineering at Abertay University, whom the judges described as ‘enthusiastic, personable, very passionate and driven’.
The National Awards programme, sponsored by Amazon, Bouygues, Savills and tp bennett, was established in 2008 to seek out the top built environment students each year and raise awareness of the career opportunities across this industry.
Each of the winners receives a £500 cash prize, a trophy and the opportunity to take part in Women in Property’s mentoring programme. The final judging panel for 2022 will be held in London on 20th September, when Tallulah, Eilidh and Lilyana will compete with 11 other students for the top national award. This will be followed by the national Best of Best Dinner at Claridge’s, when the winner will be announced.
