The Eco Prize for Creativity announces its 2006 winners today (Thursday 28th September) at an awards event at the Lighthouse in Glasgow. The Eco Prize is an award to celebrate artistic work in Scotland which inspires greener lifestyles.

There are two winning entries, one in each of the emerging and established entry categories, with each attracting £1,000.

- ‘Green Roof 294’ by Beth Hamer (Glasgow)

The emerging talent award is won by the artist Beth Hamer for her work ‘Green Roof 294’, a urban roof eco-system.

- ‘Bowmore Chair’ by David Trujillo-Farley (Edinburgh)

The established talent award is won by the artist David Trujillo-Farley for his work the ‘Bowmore Chair’ which demonstrates a sustainable furniture design ethos.

The judging panel, which was composed of Kay Henning, Founder and Trustee of the Eco Trust, the emerging artist Jaimie MacDonald, Lori McElroy, Project Director of Sust. the Lighthouse on Sustainability, Duncan McLaren, Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, and Louise Scullion of the design partnership Dalziel + Scullion, said:

“Through her work ‘Green Roof 294’, Beth Hamer has demonstrated the potential for conversion of urban roof spaces, often neglected and ignored areas of the city landscape, into rich bio-diverse eco-systems becoming, for example, wildlife gardens, forest roofs or mini wheat fields.”

“In his work ‘Bowmore Chair’, David Trujillo-Farley has used the high quality waste material of spent whisky barrels and minimal energy, to create an aesthetically pleasing mainstream product which would eventually be completely biodegradable. The resulting elegance distilled in the Bowmore Chair has a potential global market including whisky enthusiasts, interior designers and discerning consumers.”

“The winners have presented ingenious and multi-layered work, not only inspiring greener living but also having valuable dimensions linked to social and community regeneration. David Trujillo-Farley anticipates that the manufacture of the Bowmore Chair may employ local craftspeople, creating a sustainable industry that contributes to the economy of communities surrounding not only the Bowmore Distillery on Islay, but also other distilleries throughout Scotland. After the exhibition of her work in the 2006 degree show at the Glasgow School of Art, Beth Hamer invited the local Garnethill community, and others, to be inspired by Green Roof 294 and convert their neglected urban spaces to rich, ecologically diverse habitats.”

The award celebrates work in any creative form which demonstrates flair and imagination inspiring others to engage in environmentally friendly living. A digital exhibition of the winners and shortlisted entries is now showing at The Lighthouse until Friday 6th October.

This is the second year of the award. It is an initiative of the Eco Trust sponsored by the Ecology Building Society in 2006 and run in association with leading environmental group, Friends of the Earth Scotland, with The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Architecture, Design and the City, and with SUST, the Lighthouse on Sustainability.