The 2012 RIBA ICE McAslan Bursary has been awarded to architect Nicola Antaki to deliver an ingenious school design project in India. The annual bursary is administered by the RIBA and funded by John McAslan + Partners to support environmental and community projects in the UK and abroad.

The bursary of £7,500 will help Nicola Antaki’s project ‘Healthier Learning Spaces for Municipal Schools in Mumbai’ to develop affordable and reproducible 1:1 prototypes of designs for spaces that will help children to learn and play, and demonstrate the positive contribution a well-designed learning environment can make.

The first project to be supported through Nicola’s bursary will be the development of a roof garden at Lovegrove School in Mumbai. The aim is to illustrate to the local government how minimal investment in the school environment - such as the creation of a small roof garden - can deliver inspirational teaching resources and support improvements in child health and school attendance and attainment.

Nicola Antaki said: “I am very grateful to John McAslan + Partners for choosing to fund and support this school community project based in Mumbai. The RIBA ICE McAslan bursary will offer an invaluable opportunity to make this live design-led research project happen. Its aim is to improve educational spaces in Mumbai through design, whilst developing prototypes that will hopefully be re-usable in similar environments. The school’s pupils, staff, families and I are all looking forward to the year ahead!”