Ravenscraig Plot E7 Master Plan Competition

22 June 2026

Winner Poppy McCubbing and her final design – Project of the year:

photo courtesy of New College Lanarkshire

College Students Given Real-World Design Challenge at Ravenscraig

22nd of June 2026 – Students at New College Lanarkshire are gaining hands-on industry experience thanks to a collaboration with Ravenscraig Limited. By working on development proposals for a site on the doorstep of their campus, aspiring architectural technologists are translating theory into practice in a truly meaningful way.

As part of their Graded Unit 2, HND Computer Aided Architectural Design & Technology students were tasked with creating a master plan for Plot E7, a key development site located adjacent to the college’s Motherwell campus at Ravenscraig. The brief challenged students to design a hotel and retail/leisure-led scheme.

Poppy’s rooftop pool:

image courtesy of Poppy McCubbing and New College Lanarkshire

To support the students, a panel of industry professionals visited the college to review initial concepts and provide feedback. Attendees included Russell Wilkie, Director at Ravenscraig Limited, Ricky MacDonald and Heather MacSween from Keppie Design and Michael Smart, Development Director for Crucible Developments.

Following the initial presentations and feedback, students refined their ideas, developing three concept proposals each before taking one final concept into a detailed hotel design.

Keppie Design hosted a prize giving ceremony at their Glasgow office on Tuesday 2 June where the top three students were awarded with Amazon vouchers from Ravenscraig. Poppy McCubbing secured £500 for first place, Colin Campbell was awarded £150 for second place and Myles McDougall was recognised with £100 for third place.

The project has provided students with valuable real-world insight, including a tour of the college’s plant rooms to better understand the technical and spatial requirements needed within their designs.

New College Lanarkshire Design Competition:

photograph courtesy of New College Lanarkshire

Drawing inspiration from Ravenscraig’s industrial heritage as a former steelworks, some students incorporated metal cladding to echo oxidised steel, while others introduced curved façades symbolising the flow of molten metal. Sustainability also played a central role in inspiring several proposals, with biophilic design features such as living walls, green roofs, and landscaped surroundings integrated into their concepts.

Additional design elements across the projects included rooftop terraces, spa and gym facilities, skylights, and bold architectural forms, demonstrating both creativity and a strong understanding of contemporary hotel design.

Christopher Moore, Principal and Chief Executive of New College Lanarkshire, said: “Projects like this are invaluable in preparing our students for the realities of the industry. Working on a live development site such as Ravenscraig gives them the opportunity to apply their learning in a meaningful way, while engaging directly with leading professionals. We are proud of the creativity, professionalism and ambition our students have demonstrated throughout this project.”

Russell Wilkie, Director at Ravenscraig Limited, added: “It’s been fantastic to see the level of thought, innovation and enthusiasm the students have brought to this project. Ravenscraig has a rich history and an exciting future as we deliver the masterplan. The site the students focused on is designated to retail and leisure and it’s inspiring to see the next generation of designers contributing creative ideas for what this might be. Initiatives like this are a great example of how industry can collaborate with education to help inspire and shape talent for the future.”

Ricky MacDonald, Director of Keppie Design, said: “Working with the students has been a really rewarding process, particularly seeing how they respond to professional critique and develop their ideas. This project has given students a genuine insight into that evolving design process. The standard of thinking has been impressive, especially in how they’ve balanced creativity with practical considerations like buildability, user experience and sustainability.”
For more information on the vision for Ravenscraig and the latest news, visit www.ravenscraig.co.uk.

Ravenscraig Ltd

Ravenscraig is one of Europe’s largest regeneration and community creation initiatives, located in North Lanarkshire. This 1,200 acre transformational regeneration project is led by Ravenscraig Limited (a joint venture company comprising Barratt Developments, Tata Steel and Scottish Enterprise), with £250m investment to date.

Ravenscraig Steelworks closed in 1992, turning a once thriving industrial hub into a vacant brownfield site. Responding to calls to transform the land to support the local community, Ravenscraig Ltd is remediating and redeveloping the site, creating a thriving new community which supports the economy of North Lanarkshire and Scotland.

Ravenscraig Ltd is a not-for-profit development company, with all income from land sales reinvested into the regeneration of Ravenscraig. The revised Ravenscraig Masterplan was approved in 2020, focused on sustainable and inclusive growth, as a mixed-use site which supports a self-sufficient community.

Ravenscraig Plot E7 master plan design contest

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