Two first-year students in Conestoga's Architecture - Project and Facility Management bachelor's degree program received an honourable mention in an international competition reimagining work environments.
Sophia Padalino and Sebastian Collins were awarded an honourable mention in the Third Place category of the Next Work Environment Student Competition for developing LinkWork, modular pods that offer moments for focused work beyond the home and office.
The annual competition is hosted by Work Design Magazine, a curated digital publication for professionals highlighting new workplace products and solutions. This year's student competition saw a 700 per cent increase in entries over 2024, with submissions spanning architecture, computer science, business and more.
Submissions that scored high enough through multiple rounds of judging earn a spot as a finalist, including the Conestoga team that placed third going into the final round of judging.
This was the first competition experience for Padalino and Collins. The pair had just a week to bring their idea to life just after final exams wrapped, but they felt prepared thanks to their hands-on studio class where students develop architectural designs through a series of physical and conceptual explorations.
"While we didn't take first place, we're incredibly proud to have placed third among a global pool of finalists, including PhD-level students. As the only Canadian finalists, it was an honour to represent Conestoga on this stage."
They added: "This experience has inspired us and we're excited to keep exploring new ideas and opportunities outside the classroom."
Conestoga's Bachelor of Applied Technology - Architecture - Project and Facility Management is a unique interdisciplinary program combining knowledge and skills of architecture, engineering, project management, facility management and business for the development of better buildings and environments.
Through coursework and co-op experiences, graduates are uniquely equipped to guide and manage the decision-making process across the life cycle of a building. This degree fosters a graduate who has the agility to contribute to an organization and the building industry in a meaningful way across a wide range of stakeholders and phases of a building project.
Conestoga offers more than 25 bachelor's degrees that include one or more guaranteed internships, many being paid co-ops. Find out more at www.conestogac.on.ca/degrees.
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