Waël Seaiby
University of Edinburgh
Product Design

One million plastic bags are used every minute around the world, 93 per cent of which end up in landfills or our oceans. Out of such hideousness, Seaiby has created some truly beautiful objects. PLAG is a process for chopping up HDPE bags and turning them into a reusable material.

It's something Seaiby is continuing to develop in collaboration with plastic-recycling facilities in Edinburgh. PLAG was also awarded the Innovation Initiative Grant from the University of Edinburgh. The objects that can be made with the resultant material, such as this bowl (he's also produced jewellery), really are special -- they look like ceramic and are highly tactile. At last, sustainability that's not just worthwhile. Maybe he could even design a nice-looking Prius? JT

Lawrence Lynch
Cardiff University
Architecture

This project looks at the absurdity of the human condition with its amplified existential theme surrounding the loss of human life and the act of remembrance. The architecture seems limited by stringent universal geometry, yet the ambition of the narrative ritual cuts to the chase with beautifully drawn symbolism.

The project contains an element of humility and self-reflection rarely seen at end-of-year shows. It also skews current trends as it attempts to touch something deep. I found it beautiful... KHy

Lauren Green
Manchester School of Architecture
Architecture

Green's project imagines a luxury boutique hotel in a new cultural hub in the district of Castello in Venice. She used Michael Dennis' Eighties' book Court & Garden to combine the plan of a traditional French hotel with a typical Venetian facade. The result is a beautiful space, taking into consideration historical precedents and the local architecture style.

It is restrained in a David Chipperfield kind of way. The visuals of the interior spaces bring it to life, and unlike some projects encountered in student shows, I can see this building being a reality in Venice. CSH