A Greenwich graduate has been named as one of just three finalists in a national competition to reward outstanding work in design.

Matt Cairns, who graduated from the University of Greenwich this year, is one of only three finalists in the Student Award category. He was nominated for his redesign of the Calverley Grounds public park in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. His design centres on the historic connections Tunbridge Wells has with water, and the discovery of the chalybeate springs, along with the active arts scene in the town. Sitting in a valley, the site contains many different levels, with 25m separating the highest and lowest points. “The site was challenging due to the landform and changing levels; also, I wanted to retain as many of the mature trees as possible which created its own issues,” says Matt, who had to work through details of the local demographics, topography, planning issues and climate amongst others to guide and inform his design.

The project started as a full master-planning exercise, gradually zooming in to a particular chosen area to increase detail and thoroughly resolve the design. When completed, a full set of working drawings had been created from which the park could be constructed. This was an academic project for Matt’s final year of the course.

The winners of the awards will be announced on 24 January at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London.

To find out more about the awards, click here.