Six development projects for the Business Generator atrium

The 1^st year diploma students in Space Design at the Cantau High School presented their projects to design the reception area of the Arkinova Business Generator.

In September 2017, the whole class, i.e. 18 students in their 1^st year of vocational diploma studies in Space Design at the nearby Cantau High School, came to measure the atrium of Arkinova Business Generator in preparation for a design project.

Divided into six groups of three, the students spent several months designing a project to present to the jury composed of experts and elected representatives of the Basque Country Local Authority. Each project had to bear in mind the architectural identity of the building, its use as a reception area and the conviviality of the atrium.  On 2 March, the six teams presented their models and explanatory panels to the jury and described their project.

Rather than designating a first prize, the jury awarded a ‘favourite’ prize to the La Cordée [The Cord] project by Olivia Joussain, Julie Jambon and Carla-Marie Alvarez. ‘We took inspiration from the spirit of sharing and development of the building. We imagined a nursery of plants growing along the solid structures, around the idea, of course, that this building is a nursery for companies’, the three students explained.  All the participants received books on design and architecture.  The winning team will enjoy a one-week training course at the École Supérieure d’Art du Pays Basque.[Basque Country School of Art]

The models and displays of the six projects were exhibited for ten days in the atrium of the Arkinova Business Generator.  Given the quality of the designs presented, the Pays Basque Local Authority will now carry out a development project using all or part of the work put forward.  In addition, there are plans to repeat this form of collaboration in the future.  The Pays Basque Local Authority is already working, in association with the teaching staff of Cantau High School, on a subject open to the 2nd year students in the framework of their professional project.