Falmouth 3D Design student shines to win European award

A first year student, Isabel Heubl on University College Falmouth's BA(Hons) 3D Design course has beaten off intense competition including work from MA students to win the Philips Lighting Award at the Student Lighting Design Awards that will see her undertake an all expenses paid trip to Philips lighting headquarters in Eindhoven, Holland.

Isabel's work entitled Rocky was designed with sustainability, children's education and safety in mind. Taking the shape of an egg means there are no edges or corners for children to hurt themselves.  In order to add fun and education to the lamp it has been designed to wobble and then revert to a standing position if pushed, giving children the opportunity to learn about balance, both the lamp's and their own.

The light has three different settings; as a normal white standing light; as four possible colours (green, blue, red and yellow) that alternate when the lamp is pushed into different directions and teach colours; or as a very soft white night light perfect for children's bedtime.

The use of LEDs and recyclable, high quality components ensures the lamp has high sustainability credentials.

Earlier in the year two further designs from Falmouth BA(Hons) 3D design students  were selected from 82 entries from over 20 institutions across Europe, for the finals giving Falmouth three of the 13 coveted places in the final.  Student duo, Euan Crowder and Laurin Von der Osten-Slacken, Ross Ireland and Isabel were invited to turn their designs into working prototypes before presenting them to a panel of esteemed judges in July.

Isabel speaking of her success commented: "I am thrilled to have won this award and that Falmouth did so well in getting three entries to the final.  We have all managed to get contacts with designers and managers where we could do internships or placements and I am so grateful to the tutors and the ongoing support we receive at Falmouth."

Having reached the final the Falmouth students will exhibit at the industry's premier trade event - The Lighting Show, NEC, Birmingham which attracts over 21,000 visitors from the contract and domestic sectors in January 2011. This will provide them with the unrivalled opportunity to present their designs to leading manufacturers and retailers from around the world.  As a result of this exposure many previous finalists have gained employment within this fashion conscious industry.

"Isabel has done amazingly well as a first year student against tough competition to win this Lighting Award, especially as she now has the opportunity to work with Philips design team in Eindhoven, Holland" said Course Leader of BA(Hons) 3D Design, Su Vernon "Our ongoing success in national competitions demonstrates how the course at Falmouth prepares our students for creating real life solutions, getting good jobs and working in industry, and we are delighted by it."

The competition allows students to gain valuable knowledge about the lighting industry whilst using their creative skills to develop new lighting products.  It is sponsored by a number of big industry names: Philips, Spearmark International, Dar Lighting Ltd, Energy Saving Trust, OSRAM, ACID and the Lighting Association.

Further good news is that, through the government's Modernisation Fund, University College Falmouth is delighted to be able to offer an additional 100 full time degree places for entry in Autumn 2010.

If you are interested in applying for one of these places for the coming academic year, please contact Admissions on 01326 213730 or admissions@falmouth.ac.uk

For further information about BA(Hons) 3D Design at University College Falmouth, visit www.falmouth.ac.uk/3ddesign, email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 214354.

University College Falmouth is the only independent Higher Education institution in Cornwall with the powers to award degrees in its own name.  It has two campuses in Cornwall - at Woodlane in Falmouth and Tremough in Penryn (which it owns, and jointly manages with the University of Exeter) - and a third campus at Totnes in Devon, following its merger with Dartington College of Arts in 2008.

This merger created a new institution focusing on the expansion of Falmouth's expertise in Art, Design and Media and Dartington's expertise in Choreography, Music, Theatre, Art and Writing.  The Devon-based courses will relocate to a new, high-specification Performance Centre at Tremough in 2010, paving the way for a new specialist Arts University in Cornwall by 2013/2014 that will be unique to the South West.

The University College is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC), a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through Higher Education, funded mainly by the European Union (Objective One and Convergence), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall Council.

Ends

For further information about University College Falmouth, please contact Jilly Easterby MCIPR, Head of Public Affairs, Telephone: 01326 213792, or email:  jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk

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