Landscape architecture firm LDA Design are relaunching their bursary award scheme for 2020.
The bursary aims to support students in what’s been a difficult year. Launched last year to mark LDA’s 40th anniversary, the bursaries are there to support landscape architecture and urban design students in the UK.
Recipients of the five one-year bursaries, worth £1,000 each, will also have the opportunity to take paid work experience in one of LDA’s eight UK studios. Reka Tundokova, one of last year’s recipients of the award, recently joined the London studio.
‘It’s good to hear LDA is launching its bursary again,’ said Reka. ‘I’m really enjoying it here. I get to see everything I’ve studied so far in action. Experiencing the preparation for a planning application or a design proposal with people who have done it for years is stimulating for students yet to embark on their professional career.’
Encouraging diversity in the industry
LDA aims to use the bursary to encourage greater diversity in the landscape sector. At least one of the bursaries will go to students who have faced financial or other challenges in pursuing higher education.
The offer of paid placements is another great initiative to help people from different backgrounds get practical experience. LDA us liaising closely with universities and soliciting submissions through a variety of avenues to reach as diverse a group as possible.
‘Shaping post-pandemic places’
‘During lockdown, people have behaved differently,’ said LDA chairman Frazer Osment. ‘Now is the time to reassess our priorities and imagine how things can be different… Landscape architects, urban designers and planners have a vital role to play in shaping post-pandemic places with new thinking and empathetic design.’
The challenge
LDA are asking students to reimagine an existing or new piece of a city. It could be a network of streets with a square or a park, or a small neighbourhood.
Students should think about and draw on what they’ve experienced, observed and learned during 2020. They should draw on this knowledge to show how cities can become more supportive for people, more liveable, and more responsive to climate breakdown.
The deadline for submissions is midnight on Sunday 22 November. LDA will announce the Awards in December.
Find more details on the challenge and the application form at www.lda-design.co.uk.
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