Showcase 2026 Student Spotlight: Annabel Burr
Student Spotlight featuring BA (Hons) Product Design student Annabel Burr and her project 'Temporary Construction Fencing'.
By Jon Duckworth | Published on 21 April 2026
Categories: Student Showcase; School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment;
The Project
Annabel Burr's project addresses what she considers to be a public perception problem regarding building sites. "Temporary construction fencing is typically ugly, short lived, wasteful, easy to breach, and exposes sites to public view," she explains. "This project investigates how that boundary could instead become a productive asset supporting biodiversity, improving visual quality, and fostering stronger relationships with surrounding communities."
The outcome reframes the perimeter as a rentable system, allowing the company to supply builders with an aesthetically pleasing modular ecological boundary that offers privacy, security, and better relationships with nearby stakeholders. The live fencing is maintained throughout the project, and once the work is complete the panels are reused rather than discarded, reducing waste and long term costs. A wide range of panel types, plant based, floral, thorny for added security, advertising, and peep hole options, supports full modularity across different sites
Annabel sought a construction fencing solution that supported biodiversity and had visual appeal. Images by Annabel Burr.
The inspiration behind the project
For BA (Hons) Product Design student Annabel, the inspiration for the project is close to home. "Growing up around my family's construction business meant seeing the mess, frustrations, and challenges first hand, which motivated my interest in problem solving and improving how these environments function.
"My placement year at HH Interiors strengthened this interest, as I often saw luxury brand displays mounted on damaged MDF boards with chaotic construction work in the background. The stark contrast between premium branding and untidy site conditions deepened my curiosity about improving these environments."
The design is a modular ecological boundary that offers privacy and security. Image by Annabel Burr.
The project experience
Annabel describes working on the project as being a "roller coaster of exploring new ideas, navigating setbacks, and ultimately developing a system that genuinely solves a real world problem."
She adds: "Working directly with industry users has been invaluable, giving me the chance to test assumptions, refine the concept, and uncover new ways to improve the challenge at hand."
Being an NTU student
"Studying at NTU has been a fun experience," says Annabel. "The open, collaborative environment made it easy to share ideas, challenge each other, and look at problems from completely different angles. CAD was a huge area of growth for me, and the skills I built here gave me the confidence to push even further during my industry placement, where I picked up new software that fed directly into my final year project."
A highlight for Annabel has been working with her course mates in the studio. "The shared problem solving sessions and fresh perspectives have been both essential and incredibly supportive to my project," she says.
The project was inspired by Annabel's experiences growing up around her family's construction business. Image by Annabel Burr.
Closing remarks
Asked to offer some words of advice for future Product Design students, Annabel says: "Make full use of the wider university team: technicians, CAD specialists, and staff across the school have offered insights that genuinely pushed my project forward."
She also highly recommends taking a placement year in industry as a way of gaining invaluable industry experience. "Stepping outside the university environment helped me gain confidence, clarity, and direction, all of which fed directly into the strength of my final year work, " she says.
Study Product Design at NTU
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Visit our Student Showcase
Our Student Showcase is open to the public from 30 May until 5 June 2026 and available to view online. Take a look at the work of our talented architecture and product design students.