Postgraduate shortlisted for nationallandscape award
A Writtle College Landscape Architecture postgraduate has been shortlisted for a major national award.
Jacqui Jobbins, from Bradwell on Sea, has been shortlisted in the student dissertation category of this year’s Landscape Institute awards. She is one of only three students shortlisted for the honour and will find out at the end of this month if she has won or been highly commended.
Jacqui, who graduated this year with a Masters in Landscape Architecture – which is accredited by the Landscape Institute - said: “I am delighted and so excited, both for the recognition of the work, but also, and I almost feel more so, because the subject matter of my dissertation which specifically addresses climate change; it is most encouraging that my project has been nominated.
“It is a huge honour as it is a national award so it is recognition of my work beyond the college level by practising Landscape Architects. At Writtle it was great to have my work recognised internally by academics and externally by outside consultants, but this award nomination is a real privilege as it is people in practice who have shortlisted me.”
Responding to the environmental and social challenges that face us in the 21st Century - such as climate change and finite resources - Jacqui’s dissertation aimed to develop a new ethical approach to the design process.
She developed a matrix to assess ethical value during the design process, which focussed first on the natural, then the social and then the built environment. This applied the theory developed by philosopher Warwick Fox and she demonstrated its use through the case study of South Woodham Ferrers and its 20-year development plan.
Jacqui, who now works for Greenlight Environmental Consultancy, said: “I used ethics as the starting point on the basis that I believe that there should be a response from Landscape Architects to the fundamental question 'what ought I to be doing with respect to these challenges?'
“As Landscape Architects (and all landscape-based professionals) we are in the privileged position of being able to use the powerful medium of landscape to change perceptions and influence people, and I believe we have an obligation to do so.”
Dr Saruhan Mosler, Jacqui’s MA dissertation supervisor, congratulated her, saying: “All the staff at WSD are very pleased that Jacqui has been shortlisted for this major national award.
“We support students in their MA dissertations to enable them to conduct research in their own areas of interest and provide relevant industrial links and expertise. We encourage them to question and challenge current needs and issues in our cities and landscapes from national and international aspects.
“We take great pride in the fact that our MA research and design dissertationshave been praised by external examiners and the Landscape Institute every year and we eagerly await the results of the 2014 awards.”
The awards ceremony is at the Bloomsbury Big Top on the 27 November.
- To find out more about the MALA, visit
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Notes for editors:
- To find out more about the awards, visit
- Attached photograph shows Jacqui Jobbins. Images are taken from her dissertation – copyright Jacqui Jobbins.
Info on Writtle College
A partner of the University of Essex, Writtle College is a specialist provider of Higher Education and Further Education courses covering Horticulture, Design, Equine & Animal Management, Sport, Agriculture and Conservation. Founded in 1893 the College has trained generations of graduates who have made significant contributions to enhancing the environment and landscape. Today, the College combines its heritage with a cutting edge training approach to prepare its students for the future challenges in the specialist areas in which it operates.
For further information, please contact:
Rebecca Hughes (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays)
Writtle College, Chelmsford, CM1 3RR
Tel: 01245 424232
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