Jake sees his seat design become a reality

Winning a design competition has led to valuable work experience with the Rotorua District Council for 16-year-old Jake Krebs.

The student started his work experience with the council this week after he recently won a competition to come up with a contemporary design for new wooden seating in the central business district.

The competition was run by the council and Waiariki Woodfirst.

Now Jake gets to work with the local authority while his All Blacks' silver fern inspired design is taken from concept to reality.

Jake's award-winning design will be incorporated into the wooden surface of new CBD seating units, which are to be mounted on concrete bases and lit from underneath.

As part of his work experience Jake will be working after school alongside council landscape architect Rebecca Cray and economic projects manager Nick Dallimore.

Mr Dallimore said the work experience opportunity would give Jake an understanding of Rotorua's Urban Design Framework aimed at helping revitalise the CBD, and the chance to learn how the new seating project fitted into the bigger development picture for the city.

"Jake will be doing weekly work experience with us until the seats are manufactured and installed. The first of these will be at the Tutanekai and Pukuatua streets' intersection. This prime CBD location has been selected as an initial trial for new streetscaping and for installation of the newly designed wooden seating.

He will also be spending time doing work experience with other business sponsors.

"There is even an opportunity for Jake to get a scholarship from Waiariki Institute of Technology if he decides he's keen to pursue a career in wood manufacturing."

Mr Dallimore said Jake had impressed the design competition judges with his simple yet effective silver fern representation and his ability to clearly consider the design as part of a broader street composition.