MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
October 2008
Local students take out gold and bronze at the 2008 BEST Design Awards
Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) students Michelle Apperley and Verity Carroll were recently recognised at
the 2008 BEST Design Awards, receiving gold and bronze for spatial design in the student category.
Described as the Oscars for New Zealand design, the BEST Design Awards recognise excellence in spatial, graphic and
product design both within industry and student categories.
In her final year of a Bachelor of Design (Interior), Michelle Apperley was surprised to receive gold for her work. “I
was really proud to be a finalist, and frankly, winning a gold stunned me a bit. I am definitely going to get my
certificate framed.”
Apperley’s gold-winning submission to the BEST Design Awards is titled ‘Altered Vista’. Her goal was to design a safe
solution for urban pedestrians crossing a busy inner city traffic island and install an aesthetically pleasing sculpture
within an urban location.
“My work is designed to be experienced”, said Apperley, “whether walking past, or through, the sculpture has been
designed to create framed views of the trees and surrounding buildings. It’s an attempt to connect rather than separate,
by offering a new definition of an urban space.”
Verity Carroll, also in her final year of a Bachelor of Design (Interior) at WelTec, won bronze in the spatial design,
student category. Her work proposes a solution to the shortage of comfortable and affordable student accommodation in
Wellington with a design that incorporates converted shipping containers into individual student apartments.
“Tertiary students have limited funds but still need to be provided with a place to sleep, to eat, and to wash, but most
importantly a place where they can create their own environments, meet new people and socialise” said Carroll.
The students credit WelTec teaching staff Tony De Goldi and Gill Matthewson, with providing the right support and
advice. “Deciding which of our projects were best suited as entries was tricky, our tutors gave great support and
advice” said Michelle Apperley.
The future for these design students looks bright. “My goal is to find a place within an architectural firm where I can
use the skills my degree has taught me and continue my development” said Apperley.
“Design is such a huge field and it is always changing with new technology that makes the possibilities really exciting.
One of my tutors once told me - design is a field where you can get paid to play” said Apperley.
For more information on WelTec’s Creative Technologies programmes, please contact WelTec on 0800 WelTec (935 928) or
visit www.weltec.ac.nz.
ENDS