***Due to a computer malfunction we have mislaid the contact details of several of the entrants to the competition. If you have submitted drawings please get in touch, even if we have downloaded them. As a result we are extending the deadline a second time to 1 April****

Competitor Information

This is the second Engineering Sketches Student Prize run by the Engineering Club in association with D R A W I N G A T W O R K.

The Engineering Sketches Prize encourages the greater use of hand-drawing techniques to communicate knowledge, design and ideas in engineering. It is an opportunity for future professionals to get together to share examples and compare skills, rewarding the best examples of engineering drawing in a number of categories.

Who can enter?

Students can be from any design or construction discipline – both engineering and non-engineering, as long as the subject of their drawing/drawings is of an engineering nature. Students can be from any UK and non-UK universities and colleges. Entrants can submit multiple sketches from different projects, but be wary of overloading the judging process.

The competition is free to enter.

By joining the competition entrants give consent to their drawings being used in Engineering Club and D R A W I N G A T W O R K publicity and educational material.

Key dates

Closing date for entries: midnight on Friday 1 April 2022.

Prize-giving and exhibition launch: tbc May 2022. This will involve the announcement of prizes and a short presentation by a guest speaker. Currently it is anticipated that that the prize giving and exhibition of entries will take place online.

Prizes

The judges will award a main prize of £250 for the best overall student sketch.

The judges will be looking for drawings that show a combination of technical knowledge, sketching skill, and invention in the way engineering ideas are communicated and explained.

In addition, there will be a Commended Prize of £100 in each of the following categories:

Concept Sketch - or group of sketches: an explanation of a design proposal for a project or a construction element. This is a sketch or combination of sketches which presents ideas, strategies and systems for a project which, at the time of the sketch, has not yet been built. In the past, entries have ranged from minimal engineering idea sketches, to multiple structural and environmental engineering proposals.

Process Sketch - showing how an idea is worked through to produce a conclusive construction brief. These sketches may be procedural sequences that tell the story of a design development. They may show construction sequencing. They may include combinations of section, single point perspective, isometric, oblique, exploded diagrams etc.

The Detail Sketch - showing the explanation of a detailed engineering solution in the design office or on site. For example, site notebook sketches which resolve design issues where the detail is not apparent on the drawings. These sketches are often immediate and informal (“quick and dirty”) and are used to communicate how something can be laid out or put together.

Historical Studies - which record the engineering aspects of an existing building, object, system or mechanism. Examples in previous competitions have included ancient buildings, vehicles, favourite pieces of contemporary architecture and studies of engineering objects and mechanical systems.

For examples of sketches in each of these categories see CLICK HERE

How to Enter

Each entry should have an informative title and should be accompanied, either in a covering note or on the drawing itself, by a short sentence explaining the intention of the sketch.

Entries should be submitted in A4 or A3 pdf format and no larger than 5Mb. Please note that, unlike in previous years, sketches will be judged and exhibited online which favours a size and format that can be easily viewed on screen.

Please submit your entries using an ftp site, such as WeTransfer to events@engineeringclub.org.uk and provide the following information:
Name
Educational institution
Discipline
Title of Sketch
Category/ies and short description of the sketch/es submitted.
Detail of production method. (eg hand-drawn and scanned, digital tablet)

Competition Judges for Engineering Sketches 2022 will include:
Trevor Flynn, Drawing at Work
Simon Leung, London South Bank University
Andrew Scoones, The Engineering Club
and others to be announced

The associated video describes the making of a prize-winning historical sketch by Eva Khoo, graduate engineer.

Communicating engineering design starts with pictures, not words or calculations. An Engineer doesn’t need to be an artist, however, the power of being able to pick up a pen or pencil and sketch an idea (good or bad) is one of the most powerful skills an engineer can possess. At Civic Engineers we look for graduate applicants to present design sketches to help gauge an understanding of their engineering thought process and ability to communicate ideas. A career as an Engineer can be extremely rewarding, even more so if you have the ability to clearly communicate with your peers, architects and other consultants.
Gareth Atkinson is a chartered Civil and Structural Engineer leads the Civic Engineers London studio