Students Leading Sustainability:

Andy Kesteloo Memorial Project Award

The Andy Kesteloo Memorial Student Project Award is in memory of Andy Kesteloo, a visionary green building advocate, who shared his commitment for a sustainable earth with humour, insight and passion.

The objective of the Award is to recognize a student project that demonstrates leadership, innovation, inspiration and a creative vision for the future of sustainable design in the field of green building and communities.

 

Award criteria, eligibility and submission process

Competition opens Fall 2018
Deadline for submissions is in April 2019  

Criteria -
Student project should (but is not limited to):
  • Be an idea for a building, any component of a building, a green product, or any part of the construction process.
  • Clearly convey the fundamentals of sustainability by using innovative strategies and realistic solutions.
  • Present a creative vision for the future of green buildings and neighbourhoods.
  • Articulate the project's key features and their environmental and human health benefits.
  • Demonstrate the value and the importance of integrated/synergistic system design.
The Award
  • $2,000 cash award.
  • Free conference registration to Building Lasting Change, CaGBC's National Conference, including attendance at the gala dinner and award ceremony where the winner will be announced to the public.
  • Transportation costs to and from the conference.
  • Two nights lodging during the conference.
  • $100 in expenses.
  • Free entry to the CaGBC's National Conference Gala dinner and awards ceremony for a professor of your choice.
Eligibility Must be a full-time, undergraduate student involved directly or indirectly in the built environment. Some examples include programs related to: Architecture, Engineering, Urban Planning, Interior Design, Community Planning, Sustainability Management, Supply Chain Management, Construction, Trades, etc.

Project groups must select one group representative. A project award can only be awarded to one group member.
Submission Requirements: All project requirements will be submitted online through review room (see instructions below).
  • Personal Profile Form (see appendix A and B in Review Room)

  • Proof of full time enrollment in a post-secondary institution
    Please provide a registration receipt, a current transcript, or a letter from your department.

  • Maximum 2000-word essay about your project
    You essay must demonstrate and describe:
    • How your project satisfies the objective and criteria of this award (listed above).
    • Key project features and intended positive environmental and social impacts.
    • Your design approach (process, goals and objectives) and any lessons learned.
    • Your project’s feasibility and applicability to a real world need.

  • A maximum of four project posters
    Posters must be submitted as an electronic PDF or JPEG and formatted to a print quality resolution on an A0 panel (841x1189 mm; horizontal or vertical format). In the event that the project is selected, a poster should be prepared in order to be printed for display at CaGBC’s national conference.

  • Green building community involvement reference letter
    This should be a signed PDF written by a third party that demonstrates a commitment to sustainability outside the classroom.
Application Process:

The application and review process is done entirely online.

To submit your nomination for consideration, please visit www.cagbc.fluidreview.com and follow the directions on the landing page. Click ’sign up’ on the right-hand side of the page to create your user account, select the initial Andy Kesteloo Memorial Student Project Award category, and follow the instructions.

If at any time you require assistance, please contact CaGBC Education.
Timeline:
  • Competition opens: Fall 2018
  • Deadline for submissions: April 2019
  • Winner will be notified by: May 2019
  • Building Lasting Change 2019, CaGBC’s National Conference will take place from May 27-30 in Vancouver, BC.
Full contact information CaGBC Education
Canada Green Building Council
47 Clarence Street, Suite 202
Ottawa, K1N 9K1
Phone : 866.941.1184 ext. 1023
Email: education@cagbc.org


Past Winners:

Outside the Box
Tessa Benson, 2018

The Centre for Urban Exchange
Andrew Martins, 2017

Grow Cook Eat
Ashley Hu, 2016

Cross Industries: Bamboo Textiles
Jason Reid, 2015

For a full list of winners:
Click here

"The positive impact the Andy Kesteloo Award has had on my life is incredible. It has given me an opportunity to work on projects in which I believe and helped me gain a new confidence in my future career."

Alison Walker, Sustainability Analyst, Integral Group
2014 Andy Kesteloo Memorial Student Project Award Winner

The 2018 winner: Tessa Benson

British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)

Tessa won for her project titled Outside the Box – a concept for an LGBTQ youth shelter and support centre that proposes a broad-spectrum approach to sustainability. Outside the Box is designed to address the gaps within traditional shelter design and programming in meeting the unique needs of LGBTQ youth, by offering gender-neutral programs including transitional housing and crisis beds, common spaces for gathering, meals and socializing, work opportunities to help youth reintegrate into society, and other amenities. Tessa’s project also incorporates elements of the WELL Building Standard, Passive House Standards, and sustainable design for its structural and mechanical systems.


Winner Tessa Benson (left), with Thomas Mueller, President and CEO, Canada Green Building Council.
View this video that details Tessa’s project idea:

The 2018 runners-up

  • Josh Hall, University of British Columbia

  • Anika Riopel, Dalhousie University