Gold Coast student Cody Mason has taken out first prize in an international student architectural illustration competition, Architecture in Perspective (AIP 28) Competition, sponsored by the American Society of Architectural Illustrators.

Cody’s image ‘Icarus Project Perspective’ won the Student Award of Excellence.

“It is fantastic to receive international recognition for my work, and its means a lot to me to be included in what I consider to be a catalogue of exceptional architectural illustrations,” Mason said.

The second year student created the image as part of his studies for the Architecture Studio 1 course.

It involved a combination of 3D modelling in architectural design software, photography, and further CGI and manipulation in Photoshop.

“I was among a number of students encouraged by lecturer Alexandra Brown to enter the AIP28 competition. Alex, along with her team of studio advisors was integral to developing our graphical communication skills in the Architecture Studio 1 course.”

Australian judge Shane Thompson described it as a 'beautifully evocative work' and it was voted the best by all three judges.

“A restrained, but confident monochrome technique and a composition which draws in the viewer heightens the relationship between building and landscape,” Thompson said.

Polish judge, Aleksander Novak Zemplinski said:

“The image stands out for its elegance, quintessential composition, chromatic restraint, string technique and intriguing subject matter.”

Masons said that design has always been of interest to him, but initially he explored a different creative path at Griffith.

“In 2011 whilst nearing my completion of a Bachelor of Popular Music at Griffith’s Queensland Conservatorium of Music, I became aware of the new architecture programme offered at the Gold Coast Campus.”

That was when he decided to reorient his career path into the architecture profession.

“I see myself engaging professionally with architecture whilst undertaking postgraduate study.”

Griffith offers a Bachelor of Environmental Design (Architecture) and a Master of Architecture which began in 2013.