The practice is sponsoring the Design Award for Inclusive Spaces, a category which focuses upon ideas that can make our future cities, public spaces and private spaces more inclusive of the needs and aspirations of people of all ages and abilities. Scott Brownrigg has supported these awards for a number of years and the sponsorship reflects Scott Brownrigg’s commitment to creating inclusive, innovative spaces, as well as the practice’s dedication to corporate social responsibility which remains an integral part of the Practice’s vision.

The Helen Hamlyn awards in partnership with Scott Brownrigg, MIE Medical Research, Realys, Snowdon Trust and Stannah is organised by the Royal College of Art’s Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design and is an open competition that rewards creativity in people-centred design across all disciplines. The awards are designed to recognise and pay tribute to the best RCA students from the Helen Hamlyn Centre and are dedicated to improving inclusive design across a number of areas including architecture and public spaces. Entrants are nominated by Royal College of Art professors and heads of department, with the nominated projects displayed at the annual Royal College of Art Graduation Shows. Awards are given in each of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design's three research labs: Age & Ability, Work & City and Healthcare. There is also a special overall prize given personally by Helen Hamlyn.

Laurence Orsini, Project Director at Scott Brownrigg was invited to join this year’s Helen Hamlyn Award judging panel for his fourth consecutive year, and commented “for me it is one of the high points of the year.

The 14 shortlisted students presented their work to us, each identifying an issue that is really important to them. They then have only four minutes to present their solution to the panel in which ever media they choose. I get a great satisfaction from being part of the judging team, where there is an opportunity to revise and debate the stunning and diverse range of creative entries put forward, and then choose the ‘best of the best’ to put forward in each of the categories. The awards represent a hugely important area of research and design, with an aging population and a growing recognition that our environments should be designed in a way that is inclusive to all where possible.

We look for real innovation in these projects looking for those that will promote lasting change and improve quality of life. I am always surprised with the diversity and ambition of the students work, and it is by no means an easy task to select a winner for the Scott Brownrigg Design Award for Inclusive spaces.”

The RCA announced the winners of the Helen Hamlyn Awards 2017 on 28 June with Braelyn Hamill for Interior Design winning the Inclusive Spaces award sponsored by Scott Brownrigg with her inspired entry ‘Atmospheric conditions.’ The entry looks at a solution to poor air quality on the London Underground and a design solution for the near future that uses rock salt and plants to filter the air pulled through the underground tunnels when the trains pass through them.