BLA students win top prizes at BOUNDLESS Post-Secondary Design Challenge

Congratulations to Bachelor of Landscape Architecture students who won the top spot of the BOUNDLESS: A Post-Secondary Design Challenge focused on creative solutions for accessibility in Ontario.  The competition is in its seventh edition and is hosted by Design Exchange in partnership with the Province of Ontario. The province-wide, post-secondary design competition coincided with National AccessAbility Week and recognized proposals that showcase innovation in accessible and universal design.

Adam Persi, Julia Jerzyk and Amin Agha won the overall competition with their submission “Assist”, a public outdoor bench fixture designed to support those who physically struggle with sitting in public spaces.  The ASSIST seat eases the user in and out of the seat gently while also providing a comfortable seat for the ageing population and their needs.   “Our team has found that today’s benches do not encourage long-term sitting as concrete and metal materials do not retain heat, and wood is often flat, resulting in concentrated pressure points between the user and the bench,” explains the team in their submission.  The seat is composed of 100 percent recycled, industrial by-product and high-density polyethylene, allowing it to take ergonomic forms. This sustainable material is both solar and stain resistant.  The ASSIST seat can be fastened onto any bench surface as long as the seat of the original bench is flat. For benches that do not have backings, an optional backrest can be installed to the fixture for extra comfort.

Photo above:  Adam Persi (absent from photo), Julia Jerzyk and Amin Agha won the overall competition with their submission “Assist”.

Another UofG BLA student team consisiting of landscape architecture students Victoria Ventzke, Lauren Dickson, Reilly McCleary and Calum Molitor-Dyer placed second with their “Pace” submission. Pace is a product aimed at changing the way citizens with accessibility issues interact with crosswalks in heavy traffic areas. The current crossing times are based on the walking speed of the average person and aimed at keeping the flow of vehicular traffic. Pace is an RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) system made available to people with physical disabilities who need extra time to cross the street at a comfortable speed.

Photo above:  Victoria Ventzke, Lauren Dickson, Reilly McCleary and Calum Molitor-Dyer placed second with their “Pace” submission.

The winning entries are being presented in an exhibition at Design Exchange until July 1, 2019, on the ground floor. Find out more on the Design Exchange Facebook page.