These annual events provide a window into fresh ideas, shifting priorities and the future of the profession. Through sponsorship, collaboration and the introduction of new awards this year, we are proud to recognise emerging talent and celebrate the hard work and creativity behind graduating projects.
Supporting the next generation
This summer, we supported architecture degree shows at four universities.
A shared platform for ideas
At Newcastle University, we sponsored the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape degree show, contributing to its opening events and yearbook publication. ‘Encountering Now’ unfolded across two evenings, bringing together students, tutors, practices and the public.
The industry preview, hosted across the Architecture Building and the Farrell Centre, set the tone for open exchange, featuring a welcome speech from Andy Thompson, representing FaulknerBrowns and RIBA North East. Short talks from practice representatives then followed, with Dan Burn opening the programme, sharing insights from the FaulknerBrowns studio into how we are ‘encountering’ AI in practice. The public opening continued the following evening, celebrating the students’ collective ambition.
We are proud to continue this long-standing relationship with Newcastle University, including our annual engagement with the Material Change Masters studio, led by Dan, where research-led design and material exploration take centre stage.
Making recognition meaningful
At Northumbria University’s ‘Reveal Architecture’ show, we celebrated graduating students’ work through a series of awards recognising excellence across undergraduate, postgraduate and apprenticeship routes.
Judged by Senior Associate Architect Jake Feeney, this years’ FaulknerBrowns award winners at Northumbria were Lucy Perris - BA Architecture Project of the Year, Evie Newton - Interior Architecture Project of the Year, Lucy Barrett – MArch Project of the Year, and Kayleigh Metcalf – DA Project of the Year.
Crafted in our studio workshop by model makers Andrew and Abbie, the awards reflect the care, material understanding and attention to detail that underpins our architectural work. In doing so, they became more than symbols of achievement; but artefacts of our studio culture, connecting students directly with how we think, test and make.
Starting with a digital model, we produced a 3D-printed prototype before creating a silicone mould. Each cast, made in Jesmonite, was cured to a stone-like finish, laser-engraved and completed with a cork base.
Degree Apprenticeship recognition
Our congratulations also extend to Northumbria student and FaulknerBrowns Architectural Degree Apprentice, Daniel Hodgson. Dan received the Northumbria Award as ‘Highest Performing Degree Apprenticeship in Architecture Student’ and he has also been nominated as Constructing Excellence ‘Apprentice of the Year’.
Dan’s Masters in Architecture project, Makers Quarter and Makers House, proposes a new neighbourhood in Sunderland, designed to support the region’s growing creative industries with a focus on helping local people upskill and reskill within the sector.
“[Dan’s] project is thoughtful and poetic, and would be a brilliant civic addition to Sunderland if built.”
Paul Jones
Professor of Architecture at Northumbria University
Professor of Architecture at Northumbria University
Extending our reach
We also created the FaulknerBrowns ‘Typological’ and ‘Experiential’ awards for Queen’s University Belfast. Judged by Associate Architect Mark McMullan and Architect Alex Knowles, both awards recognised creativity rooted in context, research and craft.
The awards were presented to Callum Walsh, Undergraduate - Typological Award winner and Deimante Keturakyte, Masters - Experiential Award winner. Both demonstrating clarity of ideas, contextual understanding, and thoughtful, well-resolved design.
“It felt like creativity was coming from a place of steady exploration rather than big gestures, which made the work feel more convincing. From larger urban ideas to smaller, precise interventions, there was a lot to take away. A genuinely encouraging snapshot of the next wave of designers.”
Alex Knowles
At Ulster University, our 'Adaptive Futures' award was made to celebrate projects that creatively rework existing buildings, valuing technical understanding, buildability and long-term usability. The winning project, judged by Associate Partner and Technologist Iain Stephenson, was a school conversion by Annie Ní Lochlainn. Annie’s work stood out having embraced the ethos of the award with a confident approach to adaptation, demonstrating how design can extend the life of an existing structure while responding to the needs of its community.
Congratulations to every graduating student this year, who shared such ambitious ideas for the future.
By contributing to degree shows, we reinforce our belief that architecture is intellectual and physical, conceptual and crafted. These connections aim to bridge education and practice, ensuring emerging designers feel supported, recognised and inspired as they develop their careers.
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