Angus schools were among those battling it out on May 7 to determine the winners of Creative Spaces 2009.

Pupils from Arbroath Academy, Arbroath High School, Brechin High School, Carnoustie High School and Monifieth High School, joined schools from Dundee, Perth & Kinross and Fife, at the Space, Dundee College for the challenge.

This was the sixth consecutive Creative Spaces challenge to be held with previous winners being Madras College (2006 and 2008), Perth Grammar School, Carnoustie High School and Grove academy.

Each team of four only saw the brief, to design an Eco House of the Future, on the day of the event but were provided with professional support from the design professions and the construction industry.

With that help they had to interpret a brief, produce a design and construct a scale model of the building they had created. To add to the drama, each school then had to make a presentation from the stage of the Space with all the other participating teams sitting in the audience.

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The main aim of the competition was to design a house in a rural setting which was accessible for all, minimised the use of fossil fuels, avoided waste and pollution and was energy efficient. Most important of all it had to look great.

Although none of the Angus schools took a top prize on the day, no one left empty handed as there were cinema tickets for every participating student plus other gifts from the sponsors.

Also at this year's Creative Spaces was Michael Wood, Head of Secondary School Education with Dundee City Council and Provost of Angus Ruth Leslie Melville.

Doug Binnie of Nicoll Russell Studios who is one of the organisers said: "The initial motivation for such a specific event has been to use the knowledge, experience and expertise of those involved to help stimulate and inspire local school children to perhaps consider a career in the design related professions and/or in the construction industry, to increase the awareness of their own potential whilst raising and improving the general profile of the construction industry.

"Creative Spaces is principally designed to give S2 pupils, and their teachers, an introduction to the world of design and the construction in a creative and inspiring environment, with a special emphasis this year on the environment."

Creative Spaces links the four local authority education departments, Dundee Institute of Architects, Dundee College, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and ConstructionSkills all of whom sponsored the event.

(GK/JM)