The West Wales Freemasons Charity have this year sponsored the Architecture Scholarship Competition at the Garreg Las National Eisteddfod held at Llantood near Cardigan. The scholarship was established to promote architecture and design in Wales and is awarded to the most promising applicant to help broaden their awareness of creative architecture. The scholarship is open to those under the age of 25. It is supported by the Design Commission for Wales and the Royal Society of Architects in Wales.

The scholarship of £1,500 was awarded to Beca Ellis from Llantrisant. She was recognised at the Eisteddfod for her work on three design projects undertaken as part of her master's degree in architecture at the University of Westminster in London. The three projects were a cultural centre in Barcelona, an energy park and Gweu-dy, an old farmhouse which would be rescued and transformed into a centre for wool weaving. 

Beca, a former pupil of Ysgol Llanhari, will return to college in the autumn to complete the qualification required to become a fully qualified architect. She intends to use the scholarship to contribute to a further project as part of her ongoing studies.

The Eisteddfod adjudicators said that Beca’s work stood out among the applications as highly dynamic and full of energy. They added “We greatly enjoyed the combination of art and engineering. Beca is clearly a very talented individual, with the ability to absorb information and transform it into original concepts and creative designs. We hope this scholarship will help her complete her studies in architecture. We look forward to seeing her work in the future.”

Beca is very grateful for the support of the West Wales Freemasons Charity. She is pictured with W Bros Noel Davies and Steve Roscoe shortly after the competition presentation. W Bro Noel was soon to go on stage as part of the Eisteddfod, hence the outfit!