Westminster’s School of Architecture + Cities showcases final-year student work at OPEN 2026

The exhibition, held at the University’s Marylebone Campus between 12 June and 5 July, highlights the breadth of creative, technical and research‑driven work produced by students as they complete their studies and prepare to enter professional practice.

The show, which was opened by Lecturer in the SAC Professor Sadie Morgan OBE, exhibited a variety of work across courses including Architecture BA Honours, Architecture and Design Foundation, Architecture and Environmental Design BSc Honours, Architectural Technology BSc Honours, Urban Planning and Design BA Honours, Interior Architecture BA Honours and Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA pt II).

This year’s theme for the degree show, titled Alternative Practice, invited students to explore approaches that sit outside conventional architectural and design processes. Rather than working within established frameworks, students were encouraged to position themselves at the edges of practice - questioning norms, rethinking methods and proposing new ways of shaping the built environment. The theme celebrates experimentation, critical thinking and the ability to imagine futures that challenge the habitual and the expected.

The accompanying awards ceremony, held on 12 June, celebrated outstanding work across all SAC courses, with students recognised for design excellence, innovation and creative leadership. Highlights included Foundation awards for James Robinson and Preesha Patel, and multiple VOLA Awards across Interior Architecture and Environmental Design prizes for students including Zara Makwana, Lily Macaskill and Helena Westphalen Cavicchioli. Architecture BA students received Portman Estate Prizes and honours for experimentation and detailed design, while Urban Planning and Design students were honoured through the JCDecaux Awards. Architectural Technology students were recognised for technical innovation and professional practice, and MArch students received prizes for representation, dissertation excellence and future‑focused design. Cross‑school awards, including the Foster and Partners Prizes and RIBA Medal nominations, highlighted the ambition and quality of this year’s graduating cohort.

This year’s ceremony also marked another successful collaboration with the School’s long‑standing corporate partners, whose continued support helps students stand out in a competitive professional landscape. Representatives from organisations including Foster + Partners attended to present prizes.

About the exhibition, Kate Cheyne, Head of the SAC, said: “The world is in flux. The work in OPEN shows how our remarkable graduates have embraced transformation, seeing challenges not as barriers but as opportunities. Demonstrating a refreshing lack of fear in tackling the complex problems we face today, their approach embodies the limitless potential of a younger generation.”

Professor Morgan added: “As ever, the show does not disappoint. The quality and range of work on display is impressive - thoughtful, inventive and underpinned by strong critical thinking, with the Westminster sense of fun and playfulness throughout.

“The show is more than a collection of projects. It is a collection of ideas, questions and ambitions. Together, the work reflects how a new generation of architects, designers and planners sees the world and how they imagine it could be different.”

Nedal Harris Ghosheh, Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA pt II) student who participated in the exhibition, added: “Exhibiting at OPEN 2026 marked a meaningful culmination of my MArch journey at Westminster, giving me the chance to share The Battle Between The Olive & The Pine, a project rooted in landscape, memory, ecology and identity through the slopes of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. As a Palestinian, exploring themes of land and belonging made the work especially significant, and the studio culture at Westminster - defined by dialogue, experimentation and critical support - pushed me to think beyond traditional architectural boundaries.

"I was honoured that the project was recognised through a RIBA Silver President’s Medal nomination and the Shoaib Rawat Memorial Prize, and I look forward to developing it further as part of the Silver Medal entry. OPEN 2026 felt like a celebration of the collective creativity that shapes the MArch experience and it was a privilege to see such a personal project become part of a wider conversation.”

Insub Lee said: “It was a privilege to represent Foster + Partners at this year's University of Westminster awards and to celebrate the exceptional talent, creativity and dedication demonstrated by the students. We are delighted to support initiatives that recognise and nurture emerging talent and we look forward to continuing our longstanding relationship with the University of Westminster.”

The exhibition directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education, 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and 13: Climate Action. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Learn more about Architecture, Interiors and Planning courses at the University of Westminster.

To find out how to collaborate with the University and support students, contact Westminster’s Development Team.