Winterbourne International Academy is expanding its technology department into the world of 3D printing after student, Tom Sussex, was announced the winner of a nationwide 3D Design Competition.
Hosted by 3D printer brand, XYZprinting, the competition saw over 20 schools from across the country compete for their chance to win a state-of-the-art 3D printing lab, putting their computer graphic skills to the test to submit almost 200 entries between them.
All submissions were reviewed for their creativity and originality by a panel of experts, before a final shortlist of ten entries was put to a public vote. Winterbourne International Academy was the only institution to see multiple designs make the final ten.
XYZprinting’s CEO, Simon Shen, who chaired the judging panel said: “We were astonished by the calibre of submissions – several students demonstrated an already polished mastery of 3D design, and the enthusiasm was palpable, so coming up with a top ten was a real challenge. However, Tom in particular not only created a fantastic design for a chair, he also included an accompanying 3D rendering to show how it could be applied to a real-life situation, which we knew from the beginning would make it a strong contender.”
Tom’s win will now see his school begin the new term with a whole host of 3D printing equipment at their disposal, sponsored by XYZprinting, enabling them to continue exploring the technology.
Sam Hucker, Deputy Head of the Technology Learning Area at Winterbourne International Academy, said: “Tom has achieved something incredible and is a credit to the Academy, along with all the other students who took the time to participate in the competition. Together, they have sown the seeds for a true legacy at our school. We’re looking forward to getting the lab set up and helping students for years to come realise their creative potential by making use of this revolutionary technology.”