Architectural technology graduate wins prize at top industry awards

Kristin Gray pays tribute to approachable teachers who built her confidence, and course that combines creativity and technical rigour

A Middlesex Architectural Technology graduate has won the prestigious Best Student Project award, with judges hailing her "strong vision, creative flair," and "thoughtful execution”.

For her final year project, Kristin Gray produced a design for a 100 metre tower in Stratford with a particular regard for meeting sustainability and accessibility challenges. 

Judges at the 2025 AT Awards at One Marylebone on 26 September said: "From concept through to design detail, The Drop captures an energy and vision that speaks to Kristin's talent and potential".

The Stratford Drop's diagrid, or diagonal grid structure, inspired by the Gherkin, uses less structural steel than a conventional steel frame and delivers column-free, highly adaptable interior spaces.

The façade consists of fully recyclable cladding, recycled modular aluminium panels and high-performance low-carbon glass, to minimise embodied carbon and embrace environmental responsibility. On each floor are planted terraces filled with UK native species, filtering air and enhancing occupants' wellbeing; at ground level is a plaza incorporating shading and water features.

The building's tapered form maximises natural light distribution, and among sustainable technology installations it features a green roof with solar panels, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and air source heat pumps. 

Kristin’s design includes step-free access on all levels, corridor widths of at least 1.5 metres, and two accessible WCs per floor. Tactile surfaces and tonal contrasts help visually impaired users make their way around, and open and intuitive floor layouts assist the neurodiverse.

Kristin says being announced winner of the AT Student Project of the Year award, in the midst of a roll-call of prizes for industry professionals with just one other student category, felt "surreal," and that she felt proud to be recognised for a project achieving the "combination of efficiency, adaptability, and elegance" that she values in architecture. 

She also takes pride in the extent to which environmental simulations shaped the design. "The distinctive tear-drop form wasn’t a stylistic decision but a response to daylight analysis, wind modelling, and solar studies," she says. "It showed me how form can emerge directly from performance."

She would like to see more buildings designed with circular economy principles in mind. "In The Drop, both the structural frame and the façade were conceived as systems that can be disassembled and reused at end of life. That approach is still quite rare in high-rise design, but it’s essential if we’re serious about reducing embodied carbon. 

"I’d like to see green infrastructure treated as a standard feature - bio-solar roofs, green terraces, and biodiversity net gain embedded in design from the beginning," she adds. She notes how her inclusivity measures like step-free circulation and dedicated wellbeing zones were part of the DNA of the design, not an add-on.

Kristin, who comes from Manchester and briefly studied on an architecture degree at another institution, says that architectural technology with its focus on problem-solving is what interests her most and is "what architectural practices want: people who know their stuff".

At Middlesex, she valued lecturers’ industry expertise, and their friendliness and encouragement. Between Year One and Year Three, she noticed in herself and coursemates "a huge difference in confidence and communication skills".

Among parts of the programme she particularly enjoyed were hands-on model-making in the workshop, history of architecture classes in the first year, and engineering and design modules.

"I really valued the balance between conceptual ambition and technical rigour," Kristin says. "The course encouraged me to think creatively, but also required me to back up decisions with current building regulations and structural principles, so my projects were technically accurate as well as imaginative".

That mindset, she says, has helped her secure her current job as an architectural technologist at a London architecture firm. In five to ten years, she hopes to be a chartered architectural technologist, or in a role leading sustainable design initiatives. "I’d like to be part of projects that not only meet current regulations but push beyond them, setting new standards for low-carbon, resilient, and inclusive design," she says.

Senior Lecturer in Construction, Architecture and BIM Homeira Shayesteh says: "The AT Awards are one of the highest accolades within the discipline. Winning this award is an exceptional achievement as it highlights students' ability to compete at a professional level and signals to employers the calibre of Middlesex graduates.

"Kristin's project combined creative vision with strong technical competence, demonstrating the balance that defines successful Architectural Technology.

"Kristin consistently excelled throughout her studies, showing a rare combination of creativity, resilience, and professionalism. Winning the Student Project of the Year is a fitting recognition of her academic journey. We are super proud of her!"

See more information on studying Design Engineering at MDX.