Students’ response to ‘NIMBYism’ wins civil engineering prize

A student proposal to install solar panels on grey field sites instead of farmland has won the top prize in the 2025 ICE CityZen Award.

Designed to help 16- to 18-year-old students get a taste of what it’s like to be a civil engineer, the award-winning competition consists of two stages:

• Playing a digital game where students must tackle engineering challenges that balance sustainability, carbon impact, budgets, and community needs.
• Identifying a local issue and proposing a civil engineering solution in the form of a project pitch video.

Freddie Cooper, 17, and Harvey Rain, 16, from Barton Court Grammar School took home the Gold Award for their proposed alternative to a local scheme to build a solar farm the size of 78 football pitches.

The scheme has been criticised by residents who fear it will tarnish the character of the area – something Freddie and Harvey addressed in their video pitch, alluding to ‘NIMBYism’ (standing for ‘Not in my back yard’).

Instead of placing the panels on a farm, their proposal would make use of highly industrialised areas, where large rooftops and vast car parks provide ample opportunity for panel installations.

The students highlighted the importance of solar energy in facing the climate crisis, demonstrating that you can boost renewable generation while safeguarding natural areas.

Out of 1,454 participants and around 100 project pitches, their idea took home the top award, along with £2,000.

ICE CityZen Award winners

Gold Award

Freddie and Harvey, who made up Team Mila, said the competition was “great fun” and that it “strengthened and broadened” their interest in engineering, “opening [their] eyes to possible future opportunities”.

Nick Herbert, lead teacher of geography at Team Mila’s school, said: ‘‘Our students really engaged with the process and have taken a lot from this.

“Huge credit should go to both Freddie and Harvey for their commitment to this competition and the hard work they put into it!’

Watch their video:

Silver Award

Dulwich College’s team, consisting of Shengjie Yang (Donald), 17, and Jingyao Zhou (William), 18, designed an intelligent street lighting system that reduces energy use and operational costs through smart controls.

Known as Team Baunah, they won the Silver Award and £1,000.

Watch their video:

Bronze Award

Ashville School’s Team Ashville proposed a bioswale, a type of sustainable drainage solution (SuDS) that uses natural vegetation to manage stormwater and reduce flood risk.

The team, made up of Allison Young, 17, Curtis Rawlings, 16, Joshua Muh, 16, and James Raine, 17, won the Bronze Award and £500.

Watch their video:

JBA Trust Special Prize

Eltham College’s James Whittaker, 16, Sofia Khimchack, 16, Samayra Srivastava, 16, and May Janes, 17, designed an enhanced urban park space for Southwark, incorporating features to increase biodiversity and community benefit.

Collectively known as Team Solitaire, the group won the JBA Trust Special Prize and £500.

Watch their video:

Loud Speaker Special Prize

Charters School’s team, Future Frame, proposed a SuDS scheme that used bioretention planters to help towns manage rainfall more effectively.

Daniel Walls,17, Madhura Aravind,17, and Ridhi Umaselvan,17, won the Loud Speaker Special Prize, which consisted of a communications workshop for 100 pupils at their school.

Watch their video:

The 2025 award-winning teams were invited to a lunch with ICE President David Porter and Clare Mulley, daughter of late ICE member David Butler, who helped fund the award.

Commenting on the winners, Joanna Horton, the ICE’s chief membership officer, said: “This year’s CityZen Award finalists demonstrated creativity and awareness beyond their years.

“The themes of sustainability and energy security that ran through their proposals show how forward-thinking they are and the sense of purpose they’d bring to civil and infrastructure engineering.

“Their ideas were polished, professional, and creative. They should all be incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved.”

All cash prizes were split between the students and the schools.

Top-scoring teams

The ICE congratulates all 67 teams who took part in the digital game, especially those who achieved the highest game scores and secured prizes.

• First prize went to Philip Gurgul, 17, from Ashcroft Technology Academy
• Second prize went to Team Uruk 2.0 consisting of Nicholas Constandinos, 16, Tina Apostolova, 16, and Peter Nuttall, 17, from Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
• Third prize went to Team Ironvale consisting Hin Ching To, 16, Samuel Waterlow, 17, and Freddie Morris, 17, from Rochdale Sixth Form College

All high scoring teams were awarded Waterstones vouchers in recognition of their achievements.

ICE CityZen Pollution Control Challenge

This shorter competition for 14- to 16-year-olds consists of an interactive online game where students explore the vital role civil engineers play in protecting the environment.

Players investigate the causes of river pollution and examine the engineering solutions that can address it.

Participants are encouraged to consider environmental, social, economic and political factors, helping them develop a holistic understanding of how civil engineering shapes the world around us.

Three teams were recognised for their outstanding performance in the Pollution Control Challenge:

• Team Avtopia from Lornshill Academy
• Team BADD from Northumberland College
• Team Brizlords from Waterfront UTC

The winning teams received Waterstones gift cards and will take part in a local civil engineering experience, offering real life insight into the issues explored throughout the game.

Mentor-supported competition

Across the competition, ICE STEM Ambassadors supported schools in person and online, helping students navigate the game and the project pitch.

Bruno Guillaume who mentored the Silver Award-winning team from Dulwich School, said the experience gave him “much hope for the future”.

“The engagement of the students and the dedication of their teachers transform a volunteering occasion into a memorable moment of joy,” he said.

“The CityZen scheme is an excellent way of getting students to investigate civil engineering as well as careers in our profession.”

Become a mentor for the 2026 competition