Emelie Fraser, an MSA Stage 5 Mackintosh School of Architecture graduate, has won the £1,000 3DReid Student Prize 2025. The prize was announced at an awards ceremony in Manchester on the 23rd July. Emelie was recognised for her thought-provoking project “O Parque dos Mortos,” which explores the emotional and architectural dimensions of death, proposing cemeteries as spaces for reflection, healing, and urban renewal.
Now in its 19th year, 3DReid asks tutors across the UK to nominate one outstanding Part II architecture student to compete for the £1,000 prize. This year’s competition saw over 20 entries from leading architecture schools nationwide, and the calibre of submissions was exceptional.
Judges commended Emelie’s Stage 5 thesis ‘O Parque dos Mortos’ for its sensitive exploration of mortality and graceful architectural response to grieving and remembrance. Situated in Porto, where societal attitudes to death have seen a shift towards cremation, and where voluntary euthanasia has recently been legalised, Emilie’s thesis advocates for an integrated architectural response to mortality, questioning how design can support dying and reflect evolving perspectives on death. The project reimagines cemeteries not simply as places of burial, but as urban sanctuaries for contemplation, celebrating memory and allowing for moments of peace amid city life.
“Emelie’s final design thesis responds to the studio theme ‘ The Ethical City’ through a bold reimagining of how we engage with death in the urban fabric,” says Miranda Webster, Stage 5 Leader and tutor at the Mackintosh School of Architecture.
“Through a sensitive and poetic architectural language, her project uses a central spine wall and a series of walled gardens to create spaces for both mourning and dignified death. Embracing decay and the passage of time, her design invites ongoing participation and remembrance, reflecting a mature and deeply human approach to architecture. This recognition is a testament to her exceptional creativity, sensitivity, and critical thinking.”
Emile was also awarded the GSA Chairman’s Medal for Architecture, the W.O. Hutchison Prize, and the RSA New Contemporaries Medal for Architecture for her graduate show this year.
The full press release for the 3DReid 2025 prize announcement can be read HERE.
For further information please contact press@gsa.ac.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS
About 3DReid
3DReid is an award-winning creative architecture and interior design studio specialising in the design and delivery of complex new-build and refurbishment projects.
3DReid’s team of over 100 people work across five UK studios in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London. We believe that the best buildings and places come from a culture of open discussion and collaboration. The student prize is an opportunity to encourage and promote the next generation of architects and the topics that matter to them.
The team has extensive experience and an impressive track record working with a range of sectors. Cross sector experience includes Aviation & Rail, Culture & Community, Education, Hospitality, Industry & Technology, Residential, Retail & Leisure and Workplace.
For more information about 3DReid, please go to: www.3DReid.com and LinkedIn
About The Glasgow School of Art (GSA)
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading independent university-level institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines. Our studio-based, specialist, practice-led teaching, learning and research draw talented individuals with a shared passion for visual culture and creative production from all over the world. Originally founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, the School’s history can be traced back to 1753 and the establishment of the Foulis Academy, delivering a European-style art education. Today, the GSA is an international community of over 3,500 students and staff across architecture, design, fine art, innovation and technology in our campuses in Glasgow and Altyre (in the Scottish Highlands), and a thriving Open Studio programme delivering non-degree provision to over 1,500 students annually.
