Winners Announced for the MEMF School Competition 2025: Building a Sustainable Future
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 My Environment My Future (MEMF) School Competition, where students from across the UK reimagined the future of our built environment through the lens of sustainability.
The theme this year “Building a Sustainable Future” challenged students aged 11 to 18 to redesign a local building or space, focusing on eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient solutions, and sustainable purposes that could benefit their communities.
The Winning Entries: Innovation Meets Sustainability
Students had the freedom to showcase their ideas in different formats whether through a poster, presentation, or video with the goal of sharing an innovative proposal for their redesign.
After reviewing hundreds of entries, our expert panel of judges selected the most innovative, practical, and sustainable proposals. We were truly inspired by the thoughtfulness and creativity shown by all participants. Here are the standout winners of the 2025 MEMF School Competition:
Hugo Murphy, Nicholas Gupta, Charlie Absolom and Casper Poulton from Langtree School (Ages 11–14)
Project Title: Goring On Thames – Cultivation Project
Summary:
The winning MEMF entry from Hugo, Nicholas, Charlie and Casper stood out for its creative and thoughtful plan to build a non-profit wildlife park in Goring-on-Thames. Focused on protecting endangered UK species, the project combines environmental education, sustainable design, and community involvement. With ideas such as free entry for children, partnerships with local schools, and eco-friendly infrastructure, the entry showed how young people can lead the way in making a real difference for both nature and their local area.
“I think this project has been very useful for understanding what we have done in class and putting our skills into practice. I was contemplating not entering because of the hard work that it involved, but I’m pleased I did, because of the skills I have learned.” — Nicholas Gupta, Year 9, Winning Student
“During this national competition, I learnt a lot of things that will benefit me in my other lessons and life. It was an incredible journey to take in this experience, with many new skills learnt which I hope to use in the future” — Charlie Absolom, Year 9, Winning Student
“During this project, I learned that a lot of background work is needed to achieve the final result. Teamwork, ideas and research were key factors in the project being completed. This project has taught me many skills that will be useful to me in the future. I would like to give credit to Hugo Murphy who led the project and came up with lots of the ideas.” — Casper Poulton, Year 9 , Winning Student
“I believe this project has been a great chance to showcase our teamwork and group thinking skills. One of the reasons I enjoyed this competition so much is the fact it balances many different subjects, factoring in both creative and critical thinking. It has truly been amazing to work in a group to deliver something we are all passionate for. It’s something I can look back on when I’m older and be proud of, along with the rest of the team!” — Hugo Murphy, Year 9, Winning Student
“All our Yr 9’s are given the opportunity to take part in the MEMF competition to apply what they have learnt in lessons to a real life project. Our students enjoy the freedom of being able to choose any location and see how they can improve it for the benefit of the local community. Thank you so much to MEMF for organising this event as our students have really enjoyed taking part.” – Mrs Lucy Phipps, Head of Geography
Arya Bhamra Dhiraj and Amelia Gilbert from St Albans High School for Girls (Ages 15–16)
Project Title: Market Depot, Drovers Way
Summary:
The winning MEMF entry from students at St Albans High Schools for Girls proposed transforming a disused market depot in St Albans into a vibrant, eco-friendly library for all ages. Powered by wind turbines and using greywater recycling, the design combines sustainable technology with inclusive spaces for reading, learning, and community connection. With its strong environmental focus and creative reuse of local space, the project stood out as a smart, inspiring vision for the future.
“Through our research we discovered many aspects of sustainability and learnt a lot about the challenges faced when trying to build sustainably. I really enjoyed taking part in the competition, and I feel like I learned lots that I wouldn’t have found out otherwise. I enjoyed the teamwork aspect of this project, we both brought different ideas and strengths to the project and we were able to work well together to create a result which we felt proud of. I am really pleased we won!” — Arya Bhamra Dhiraj and Amelia Gilbert, Year 10, Winning Students
“This is a truly cross curricular competition that really captured our students’ imaginations and all who entered engaged well with the concepts of sustainability and community. I am thrilled for our winners who put real dedication into their entry.”– Mary Willis, Teacher of Geography
Sharnia Kaur, Gianna Ajov, Chukwuebuke Idaboh from The Royal School Wolverhampton (Ages 17–18)
Project Title: Improving Our Sixth Form Hub
Summary:
The winning MEMF entry from students at The Royal School, Wolverhampton transformed their sixth form hub based on real student feedback, creating a brighter, quieter, and more eco-friendly space. With sustainable materials, improved ventilation, calming colours, and enhanced privacy, the redesign supports wellbeing, productivity, and environmental responsibility. This project shows how thoughtful changes can meet community needs while promoting a greener, healthier learning environment.
“As a teacher I am beyond proud of the work done by these students they impressed me with the research they did, and the work provided. This programme is a cross-curriculum program involving Math, Design, Physics and IT. It inspired my students and three of them learned about new jobs in the industry. The resources provided were used in Geography class and were well used in our STEM club.” Geography Teacher
“I always wanted to be an architect and this opportunity linking it to sustainability and wellbeing make me think even more to have a future studies in Technology Architecture” Sharnia Kaur, Year 12, Winning Student
“I am so happy we won as we spent a lot of time in discussion and preparing the submission material thanks for the opportunity.” Gianna Ajov, Year 12, Winning Student
“We learned a lot during this experience and we used our skills to prepare for it over 5 weeks.” – Chukwuebuke Idaboh, Year 12, Winning Student
A Platform for Future Innovators
The MEMF School Competition continues to inspire students to think critically about the future of our planet and how they can contribute to building a sustainable world through careers in the built environment.
“So many young people care passionately about the environment, their communities and the future of where they live. MEMF raises the prospect of careers addressing these important issues, giving young people agency to have a positive impact on their futures within a sector hidden in plain sight. As the success of the competition shows, we have so much to offer as a sector, we just need to engage young people to secure our future workforce.” — Terry Watts CEO of the Built Environment Schools Trust
We are incredibly proud of all the entrants who participated this year and commend their efforts in envisioning a more sustainable future. Whether your idea was selected as a winner or not, you’ve contributed to a growing conversation about sustainability and the built environment.
Get Involved in Next Year’s Competition
If you didn’t have a chance to enter this year, don’t worry! The MEMF School Competition will return in 2026 with another exciting theme, and we can’t wait to see the new ideas you’ll bring to life.
Follow us on Instagram: @memf.careers and linkedIn: @my environment my future
Stay updated and inspired for next year’s competition!
About the MEMF School Competition
The My Environment My Future (MEMF) School Competition is an annual competition designed to inspire young minds to explore the role of sustainable design in the built environment. Aimed at students aged 11–18, the competition encourages creative thinking, environmental awareness, and the development of real-world solutions for the challenges we face as a society.
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