Brookes students have designs on city square (From Oxford Mail)

Brookes students have designs on city square

7:29pm Tuesday 15th December 2009

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ARCHITECTURE students have been looking at ways an area of central Oxford could be improved.

Oxford Brookes University students in the first year of their degree course came up with a range of ideas for Mount Place in Jericho.

The students came up with 18 different designs which could be constructed on a budget of £10,000.

Ideas included providing terraced seating and a drinking fountain for passing joggers – and a bird house to encourage wildlife.

They then presented their designs to the city council’s central, south and west area committee and a working group has been formed to follow up ideas.

Committee co-ordinator Richard Grant said: “I was delighted with the efforts of the Brookes architecture students and impressed by their presentations.

“The working group has been making progress and it is interesting to note that most of the proposals originated from the Brookes students.”

Some of the ideas which community members welcomed included lighting mounted in the trees, more benches and a wall-mounted information board about Jericho. The students have been asked to build a prototype structure, possibly a bench, on the site next summer, which members of the community will be able to try out.

Student Matthew Gibbs, who worked on an idea for a sculpture, said: “Local people’s reaction was mixed and we need to get a balance of what people want.

“It was great experience, and by getting to know local people we feel part of the community.”

Architecture lecturer Jane Anderson said: “It was a great opportunity for students in their first year to engage with real problems. They worked very hard to come up with plans which were both imaginative and practical.”

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