GCSE and A Level D&T Showcase 2019-2020

D ES IGN & T E C H NOL OGY

From a selection of students at Churcher’s College

G C S E AN D A L EVEL SH OWCASE

“Life is a mountain of solvable problems” James Dyson

CONTENT

Introduction

04

A Level

07

GCSE

18

Archive Projects

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INTRODUCTION

The level of commitment and the hours involved in the successful completion of the non-examined assessment (NEA) should not be underestimated. This element of the course is worth 50% of the total qualification and under normal circumstances, starts in June of the Fourth and Lower Sixth Years and runs until March. The process involves students working through the design process and culminates in the manufacture of their design idea. Design folios are, for GCSE around thirty A3 pages and fifty A3 pages at A level and are akin to a dissertation in their depth and complexity.

Sadly, the events of the past year have foiled our plans to host our usual design exhibition, however we hope this tome will provide you with a longer lasting record of the creative work produced by our talented young adults. The Design & Technology department are always proud of their achievements and the resilience students demonstrate to complete their NEA work amongst all the other activities they manage to juggle.

We hope you enjoy the following pages!

The Churcher’s Design & Technology Team

A Level students are free to select their own design context and must work with a client to facilitate an authentic design and manufacture experience. GCSE students select one of three broad generated contexts. The choice of contexts for the 20192020 cohort were as follows: • Designing for a sustainable future • Designing a safe and comfortable home • Designing for a high-profile event or occasion You will see through the broad range of outcomes contained within this design showcase, our students demonstrate creativity and flair to produce a variety of innovative ideas.

Practical pieces are manufactured to a high degree of accuracy and highlight a comprehensive palette of practical skills and processes.

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KEEPING SOCIAL Having friends over on a warm summers day and choosing to have a barbeque as a way of enjoying a meal outdoors whilst socialising.

However often the designated chef becomes isolated from the rest of the group. Another problem people experience with barbeques is the size and where to store them when not in use, as much of the year they won’t be needed. As a way of helping to solve the social issue, Esther decided to research and design a solution to overcome the reliance on one person catering for everyone. After discussions with her client the final idea was to combine a firepit into the product allowing it to be a more inclusive sociable product as well efficiently using the space. By combining a barbeque into a firepit means the product could be left outside and still look aesthetically pleasing, taking away the need to store a huge barbeque.

ESTHER BATEMAN

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ACCESSIBILITY

Evie wanted to solve a specific problem within her Grandma’s kitchen.

Her Grandma loves cooking but has recently come out of hospital due to having a second knee replacement which has affected her mobility and she also suffers from arthritis. Evie has helped her Grandma out in her kitchen many times so knows her way around, which helped her with the designing process. The problems her Grandma faced affected her everyday life especially when cooking, which is why Evie wanted to make something in order to make her Grandma’s life better.

EVIE WALKER-SMITH

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PROPULSION

Josh’s project aimed to solve the problem faced by snowboarders after coming down steep slopes where there can be large flat areas in some resorts. With no form of prolusion this can leave snowboarders stranded.

Josh is passionate about outdoor sports and having skied since he was young before changing over to snowboarding, Josh and his client both identified with the problem.

JOSH BECVAR

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SPACE SAVER

Saoirse chose to focus on university students’ rooms. She found they are typically quite small with often limited storage options available.

Students are usually only provided with a small wardrobe, some shelves, a bed, a desk and a desk chair which generally isn’t enough storage for all the students’ things. Saoirse’s brother and sister are students at university so were perfect clients for this project. By choosing this context Saoirse could solve a real problem that does not have an existing solution.

SAOIRSE WHITE

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STYLISH TRAVELS British Cycling announced a threefold increase in its membership since the London 2012 Olympic Games. High profile names have also encouraged cycling’s rapid growth as a popular sport, pastime and choice for commuters. Close to 10 million people now cycle at least twice per month and surveys suggest that most normally must drive to their cycling location. Although the weight of bikes has reduced in recent years with the use of lightweight materials such as aluminium and carbon fibre frames, bikes can still be heavy to lift and attach to a bike rack. Will wanted to make a product to respond to the increasing requirement to transport bikes and cycling kit easily and securely to and from the point of use while addressing the problem of lifting heavy bikes onto and off the cars.

WILL DUKE

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PACK AWAY PERFORMANCE

Recently there has been a rise in water sport participation, mainly because there is more emphasis on living a healthy lifestyle and therefore the demand in water sports products has increased. Within this project Louis aimed to solve the problem of transportability within rigid waterbased products. He wanted to solve the problem of getting the balance right between performance and transportability within products.

Although there are several inflatable products on the market many lack high performance capabilities. Coupled with the fact that not everyone has the access to a large car which can facilitate these rigid products.

LOUIS WRIGHT

GCSE 2019-2020 DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY NEA STUDENTS SELECTED ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DESIGN THEMES 1. Providing a safe and comfortable home 2. Working towards a sustainable future 3. A high-profile activity or occasion

“Different and new is relatively easy.

Doing something that’s genuinely better is very hard.”

Terence Conran

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FUTURE TRAVEL Working towards a sustainable future

The concept behind Joe’s project was to reduce the overall number of vehicles which sit unused in car parks and on driveways for much of the day while their owners are at work or home. Rather than people owning private vehicles, this solution would enable people to pre book a travel pod which would collect them from their home or workplace and deliver them to their chosen destination. These travel pods would be driverless and navigate by GPS. An added level of sophistication would allow people to book an appropriate travel pod such as a business pod, a family pod, a delivery pod and so on to suit the user’s needs for the duration of the journey. Overall, the aim would be for this to reduce overall pollution and reduce travel congestion.

JOE ALLEN

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ELEGANT COVER A high-profile activity or occasion

Mara chose to design an elegant solution to the issue of how to protect oneself from inclement weather when attending a high-profile event or activity. Rather than take an umbrella to any given function, Mara designed an integrated hood/shawl which blended seamlessly into the ball gown beneath. Mara used a broad range of textile and dress making techniques to produce a garment worthy of the maximum mark she received for this piece couture. This would not look out of place at any of the major fashion weeks around the globe.

MARA JAMES

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REVERSIBLE FASHION A high-profile activity or occasion

Sacha designed a pair of festival trousers for the forward-thinking festival goer. Sacha’s principle was based on the premise that festival goers want to look different on the different days of the weekend but want to keep luggage to a minimum. To cater for these two needs Sacha designed a pair of reversible trousers with very contrasting styles on each side. Sacha chose materials which would be durable and stand up to the general abuse which clothing must withstand on the average festival weekend.

SACHA MAYSON

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ECO PLANTER Working towards a sustainable future

Lily chose to create a self-watering hanging planter. The planter would be gravity fed using rainwater harvested from guttering systems. The key concept behind this idea was that plants consume carbon dioxide and replace it with oxygen so the materials and energy used to produce the product would be offset over time by the plant’s consumption of the carbon dioxide. Further to this, harvesting of rainwater would ensure that potable water from taps would not be wasted for the purpose of watering plants. A final benefit to this project is that the inclusion of plants in an indoor environment provides an enhanced sense of wellbeing.

LILY BRADBURY

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ECO WASH Working towards a sustainable future

Tom’s focus for his project was an external bike wash for mountain bikes.

The idea behind his thinking was that the water used to wash the bikes could be harvested in one tank collected from either water butts via gutter systems. This would avoid using drinking water to wash a bike.

An extra feature is that the second water storage tank could be painted black to partially heat the water in the summer months to avoid having to burn gas to heat the water. Tom created a wash platform and hanging system to ensure bikes could be washed easily on return from a biking session. Overall, Tom’s project would reduce carbon dioxide produced to clean mountain bikes after use.

TOM HOGG

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COMPOSH! Working towards a sustainable future

Tom struck on the idea that the composting of garden and certain green food waste creates natural gases, which contribute to global warming when considered on a global scale. Tom’s prototype design worked on allowing the gases produced by decomposing vegetation to be stored in a small gas cylinder integrated into the composting unit which could be collected to fuel other small gas appliances. Alongside this fuel storage, Tom focused on improving the aesthetics of garden composting solutions, using steam bent natural timber to clad a steel main container.

The timber cladding also lifted the composter off the ground to avoid spoiling a patch of the garden and allowing the compost run off residue to be collected and used as a fertiliser, thus avoiding the use of chemical fertilisers.

TOM JACKSON

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OAK PLANTER Working towards a sustainable future

Nathan designed a classic ladder influenced planter manufactured in oak using diagonal cross halving joints to construct the main frame.

Nathan’s project was focused on improving air quality within interior environments based on the notion that plants remove carbon dioxide replacing it with oxygen. Nathan also designed a gravity fed watering system (using rainwater harvesting), which supplied a reservoir in the base of the top planter and fed the lower levels via flexible plastic hose acting as an irrigation system. A high quality outcome to help work towards a sustainable future.

NATHAN MCBRIDE

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MOBILE PLANTER Working towards a sustainable future

Monty chose to design a hanging basket solution to answer the working towards a sustainable future context. Monty’s work was influenced by geometric shapes with him using a broad range of processes and techniques to complete the manufacture, from vacuum formed domes to act as a planter to a welded triangular frame from which to suspend his three different shaped planters. The link to sustainability focuses on the reduction of carbon dioxide within houses through plants ‘consuming’ carbon dioxide and replacing it with oxygen. The design solution was well conceived and was a unique way to answer the topic title.

MONTY PAYNE

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SOLAR COOKER Working towards a sustainable future

Seb can always be relied upon to choose a complex problem and his choice for his GCSE project was no exception. Seb adopted the use of solar power as his approach to reducing the use of fossil fuels to power alfresco cooking. Seb chose to design a solar cooker/barbeque which could be integrated into existing garden tables. His prototype required a variety of different processes and techniques including spot welding, metal rolling and the use of computer aided design and manufacture to create the structure of the lower portion of the cooker frame. The final outcome demonstrated Seb’s ability to adapt during the practical phase to overcome design issues.

SEB ROYDS

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POWER ON THE GO Working towards a sustainable future

Rowan’s design looked to use every day travel in private vehicles to be able to charge portable power banks. Rowan’s turbine design took the shape of a jet engine with a wider front portal and narrower exit portal to force air through an electric desktop computer fan. The fan would act as a small generator and would send electrical charge to a power bank. This would allow a power bank to be charged without having to be plugged into the mains and would benefit from carbon free charging, as the journey would have taken place regardless. Were this to adopted on a wider scale it would make a small dent in our reliance on fossil fuels.

ROWAN TOSDEVINE

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ACCESSIBILITY Providing a safe and comfortable home

Working with the design context of ‘providing a safe and comfortable home’ Jonny was really interested in developing a product that primarily helped the needs of the elderly in the home but also something that might have wider benefit to people with physical impairments. Following some exploration of the problem Jonny resolved to create a prototype device that would help the user in the bathroom where slips and falls are common. His sliding seat concept is designed to help with movement into a bath or shower and/or toilet.

JONNY ALLAN

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URBAN CHIC Working towards a sustainable future

Avril was passionate about engaging with her chosen context of ‘working towards a sustainable future’. She chose to focus on ways to improve the design of affordable housing, in particular tower block style accommodation. Avril used her surrounding local area as a stimulus for her research. She carried out a detailed investigation of the links between health and mental well-being and how this is affected by access to open space and outdoor recreational areas. Her architectural prototype explores ways to maximise access as a possible solution to increased urbanisation in inner-city areas.

AVRIL BECKER

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ECO WASTE Working towards a sustainable future

In undertaking the context of ‘working towards a sustainable future’ Max chose to focus his attentions on ways to make recycling an easier and more streamlined process within the home. After investigation Max decided to develop a prototype system that balanced function and aesthetics. His solution aims to allow users to simply sort and safely hold different types of household recycling in one freestanding unit that would fit easily within a kitchen environment.

MAX BECVAR

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PLANT IN Working towards a sustainable future

Zach’s project focused on the sustainable futures theme and he selected to design and make a gravity fed planter. The upper level of Zach’s planter was the water store for rainwater harvested from gutter systems and water butts. The water store in this upper reservoir was able to flow through an acrylic watering pipe which would enable the plants below to be watered by their owner. As with other systems of this nature the plants consume carbon dioxide and replace it with oxygen so the materials and energy used to produce the product would be offset over time by the plant’s consumption of the carbon dioxide. The use of rainwater harvesting avoids using drinking water which has been processed using chemicals to water plants.

ZACH BUDGE

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STAGED TO PERFECTION A high-profile activity or occasion

Eilidh brought their existing zeal for creative costume design to the context of ‘a high-profile activity or occasion’. In tackling a piece for a West End stage depiction of Robin Hood a fundamental factor for Eilidh was ensuring there was a historical accuracy to the piece. They balanced this with the demands of ensuring the costume would be practical for repeated performances on stage. Eilidh’s commitment to maintaining integrity also extended to their thoughtful development of detail and accessories that honoured the look and feel of the character.

EILIDH EDWARD

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BEE FRIENDLY Working towards a sustainable future

Based on the context of ‘working towards a sustainable future’ Seb investigated the issues surrounding the decline of the bee population in the UK. Through research he became aware of the role that bees play in the pollination of wild plant species and other growth and what be the impact of their decline. Seb focussed on the work of The National Trust in raising awareness and encouraging an interest in nature. With this in mind, he developed a solitary hanging bee friendly ‘house’ that could be used in domestic gardens or even within outdoor spaces of more urbanised areas.

SEB HALL

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FESTIVAL KIT Working towards a sustainable future

Hollie was really inspired by the context of ‘working towards a sustainable future’ and her idea was influenced by the large amount of waste resulting from summer festivals that she has witnessed firsthand. Hollie was struck particularly by how many tents are abandoned by festivalgoers. To this end she wanted to look at innovative ways to make use of the materials. Through her extensive testing and development, she focussed on two ways to achieve more sustainable solutions: one, to reuse the ripstop nylon tent fabric to make new tents; and two; to make a frame that could easily be assembled and taken apart, thereby making it easy to pack away and transport the tent after it has been used.

HOLLIE HODGES

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SOLAR BBQ Working towards a sustainable future

Within the context of ‘working towards a sustainable future’ Harry explored several starting points that examined ways to harness natural forms of energy generation. Through his studies he struck upon the concept of using solar power within domestic settings such as cooking.

Further investigation led him to develop a prototype solution that would present a more sustainable and innovative alternative to using BBQs at home. Harry wanted to devise something that utilised the power of the sun to provide heat for cooking rather than being dependent on more traditional forms such as coal or gas. His rotating platform allows the user to move according to the position of the sun during the day and the reflective metal cooking bowl is designed to maximise the heat generated.

HARRY MARDEN

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DRESSED FOR ALL OCCASIONS A high-profile activity or occasion

May focussed on the context of designing for ‘a high-profile activity or occasion’. From the outset of the project May was really interested in concepts for events such as Ascot, she was interested with the way that events such as these often require specific dress codes and conventions.

In her investigations May focussed on the additional challenge for attendees to not only have to be dressed appropriately, but they also often had to be prepared for the possibility of a variety of weather.

Rather than having to carry several cumbersome items or need to have additional clothing May wanted to find a way to create an adaptable piece for a female that could be worn and adapted with any change in weather. The resulting design of her formal dress can be reversed to a more covered piece that is water resistant whilst still in keeping all the style of the outfit.

MAY PROCTOR

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FLOOD PROOF Providing a safe and comfortable home

Ross engaged with some innovative thinking for his focus on ‘providing a safe and comfortable home’. He was concerned with the concept of people living in challenging environments around the world and wanted to look at ways to develop solutions for housing in more flood prone areas. Ross focussed his attention on developing his own version of a prototype ‘Amphibious’ house that rests on the ground when conditions are dry but, in a flood, can rise in its dock and thereby float.

ROSS RAYNER

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ECO SEATING Working towards a sustainable future

Rosie was incredibly passionate about undertaking her context of ‘working towards a sustainable future’. She carried out some thorough research into how to reduce our impact on the environment and committed herself to the brief of developing furniture for an eco-conscious café chain. The intention of the café, and by association the products used in it, was to limit the environmental impact wherever possible and try and achieve a ‘zero waste’ policy. In her prototype she not only had to balance the ecological concerns, but also ensure a functional and aesthetically pleasing piece that would be suitable for day-to-day use in the café. Rosie’s prototype is not only inspired by nature but incorporates it; the core material is Bamboo, and the seat is purposely designed to accommodate a mini pod that allows plants to grow which can be used in food served at the café.

ROSIE LOCK

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ADAPTABLE UTENSIL Providing a safe and comfortable home

Charlotte was interested in the idea of developing a product that helped the elderly in response to the context of ‘providing a safe and comfortable home’. Through her research she became keenly aware of the issues of safety in the kitchen and how to make cooking more accessible for the elderly. By being able to help users safely cook, she also hoped to help overcome long term health issues such as malnutrition.

Charlotte’s prototype device for an adaptable utensil explores a range of interchangeable elements that help when cooking. The user can change the implement from a spoon to a fork and swap the type of handle to improve grip when needed for safety.

CHARLOTTE SCHRYVER

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ON STAGE A high-profile activity or occasion

Lottie carried out a great deal of investigation into her chosen context of ‘a high-profile activity or occasion’. Through her research she resolved to develop a costume for the character of the Red Queen in a dance performance of ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’. Her outcome endeavours to convey the spirit of the character but also allows the audience to ‘read’ each dance movement on stage. In development she considered economic factors for costumes specific to small theatre companies and designed the piece to be adaptable so it could be repurposed for other productions.

LOTTIE SLATER

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DANCE APPAREL A high-profile activity or occasion

Zara reflected on her own experience and knowledge of dance to develop a costume for the context of ‘a high-profile activity or occasion’ which in this case was focussed on the (then) upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo. Zara engaged with the need to create a solution that met several practical requirements; the piece not only had to have cultural relevance but also had to be highly functional to allow for quick changes during performances and allow the user to have full range of movement needed for contemporary dance routines.

ZARA WEBB

ARCHIVE STUDENT PROJECTS

“I have not failed.

I’ve just found 10,000 that won’t work.”

Nikola Tesla

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Tom chose to design a stylish solution to resolve an issue which older people can sometimes face when strength and dexterity begin to wane. He considered a broad range of solutions to assist older people in everyday activities, settling on pouring drinks. The key premise he designed around was that just because you get older, you do not lose your sense of style, with some devices to assist those who are in their twilight years not always blending in with the environments their owners have created. Tom’s decanter allowed for a variety of bottle sizes to be held and pivoted to slowly pour a refreshing beverage. The range of materials used were intended to create a sophisticated final product which complimented his client’s home. He was successful in his original intentions and created a product which fully met his client’s requirements. Cheers!

TOM COOKE-PRIEST GCSE 2019

Felix took the festival scene as his inspiration tackling the quandry of how to carry all the essentials required for the weekend from refreshments to tents. In his journey through his initial investigations he decided to combine the method of transporting items with reducing what needed to be carried, designing his solution to cleverly convert from festival wheelbarrow to festival chair. Felix manufactured his product in aluminium to keep it lightweight, using ripstop material for the canvas seating fabric to further reduce weight. The product also laid flat with the wheel easily removed with a quick release system to enable it to be easily transported in a small car. A great outcome which I’m sure went on to get much practical use!

FELIX BACON A Level 2018

Amelie chose to design and create a stunning ball gown in satin layered with netting within which Amelie used conductive thread to connect LED lights, which subtly gave the impression of stars in the gown. Considering this was a GCSE project, the quality and complexity of the practical piece was most impressive and highlighted Amelie’s obvious talents in this area. The final outcome was superb and stood out amid the projects created at GCSE in this year.

AMELIE LEWIS GCSE 2018

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Lily’s client was a keen cyclist who also drives; he could sympathise with the frustration of other road users who do not always know what manoeuvre the cyclist is going to make next. With this in mind Lily designed a stunning cycling jacket which converted into a gilet to be more versatile through the seasons. The clever design feature to this prototype was that the garment incorporated an LED panel, allowing the cyclist to use a handlebar mounted remote control to signal left and right and also show when the cyclist was braking. The quality of this product was outstanding and would not have looked out of place in any high end cycling store.

A range of textile skills were applied plus also a number of programming skills to allow the remote control to function as required, and also 3D printing the mount and casing for the control unit. One of the show stoppers in the exhibition!

LILY CLEAL A Level 2019

Will designed and made a prototype induction kettle to an incredibly high standard using a range of innovative processes to produce his design prototype. To manufacture the main body he outsourced the vacuum forming to an external company to ensure the product could actually be manufactured to a lifelike scale, rather than being a scaled down prototype. To create the body and handle to support the clear window panels, he used Computer Aided Design (CAD) to design and then Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM) in the form of 3D printed components. The design pushed Will to explore technologies and processes which were new to him and outside of his comfort zone, which all great projects do!

WILLIAM BIRCH-TOMLINSON A Level 2017

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Alex focused on a concept which attempted to make residential property developers consider incorporating ‘green technologies’ into the design of their housing schemes. Alex designed and manufactured a water wheel which could be integrated into guttering downpipes to allow the rain water to charge portable power banks and small electrical devices.

Alex used a range of newer technologies to create his product including, 3D printing, creating his over moulds from silicone and attempting to cast resin components.

He integrated a motor into the water wheel to generate power which charged a portable power bank. Many iterations were trialled, with Alex demonstrating great perseverance to achieve his final functioning product.

ALEX BURNS A Level 2019

The concept chosen by Sam worked on the premise that people who follow rural pastimes such as, clay pigeon shooting in particular, buy into a ‘country style’ in their clothing, with brands such as Barbour, Aigle and Dubarry to add style to functional products. Sam chose to apply this concept to a clay trap device, with his solution being portable and aimed at improving the item’s functional and aesthetic qualities. The solution expanded on the purely functional nature of clay traps, adding storage for clays, cartridges, refreshments, comfortable seating for the operator and all tied in with the ability to be transported in a regular sized car.

Sam stood out within his group for being an outstanding craftsperson working virtually independently to produce an outstanding final piece.

SAM ATKINS A level 2019

Iona chose to design a couture piece to act as branding for a country park, encouraging people to get out amongst nature whilst respecting the natural environment. The designed piece piece was stunning and stood out amid the other projects which were predominantly made using resistant materials. She used a broad range of materials, dying cloth to create an autumnal feel to the garment.

The final outcome would not have looked out of place on any fashion runway and showcased her great skill working with textiles.

CATRIONA MCCOLL A Level 2018

Hamish is a self-confessed motor head, particularly in relation to motorsports. His project, intended as a corporate hospitality centre piece, was the standout project of the year. Hamish displayed infinite levels of patience to produce an artefact that paid homage to the internal combustion engine, whilst showcasing a potential client’s products; during the evening of the Design & Technology exhibition it held Champagne. His sculpture, in the guise of a V8 engine held eight bottles whilst a high torque motor turned the mechanism to allow the bottles to oscillate in the cylinders of the engine. Completed to a perfect standard, it would not have been out of place in any corporate hospitality lounge at any F1 event.

HAMISH DEWATTEVILLE A Level 2019

Benji focused on the issue which faces parents in less economically developed countries; travelling long distances to locate safe water when you have young children. Benji’s solution to the problem was a robust baby/child carrier. The design provided a space for water to be stored, a canopy to shade the young child from the sun, mesh netting to allow the user to remain cooler when carrying their young. The main body took inspiration from the Armadillo, manufactured in aeroply to be robust and cater for use in a rugged environment. Benji demonstrated a great deal of perseverance when his main body failed to work correctly on three occasions, the fourth attempt was a triumph and provided the structure to hang the rest of the design from. A clever project which was expertly realised.

Charlie chose the context of helping those in less economically developed countries. his initial research looked at a range of issues experienced, finally focusing on the prevalence of Malaria in the African nations. With this at the forefront of his thinking, Charlie designed and manufactured a travel cot which could double as a rucksack, allowing parents to carry their babies during their travels as well as providing their young with a safe space to sleep. Charlie addressed the issue of mosquito bites with a net, the issue of overheating, using clever vents, and a canopy, to shade the child/baby, he also considered how the cot could be worn by parents. A broad palette of materials and processes were used for the manufacture to produce a high quality outcome.

BENJAMIN BURNS GCSE 2019

CHARLIE KING GCSE 2019