The winners of a contest to change the face of North East Hamilton were officially unveiled by the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation (BSBDC).

The Economic Empowerment Zone (EEZ) Design Competition, which was held at the Bermuda Industrial Union and has been running since December 2008, attracted entries from across the Island in a bid to find a new design for the Gateways of the EEZ and the Till's Hill area.

Michael Ferreira, an investment broker with a particular interest in landscape design, but no formal architectural or design training, won the Gateways Competition for his variation on the traditional Bermuda moon gate design, while professional architecture firm, The Studio Ltd., represented by Beryl Brown and Jeremy Crockett, was awarded number one spot for the Till's Hill Competition for its submission of an evolved design comprised of erecting a modern steel moon gate structure with laser lights emanating from halfway up the hill as a dramatic entrance statement.

BSBDC board chairman, Larry Mussenden, was on hand to present the winners with a $3,000 cheque each, in addition to the $4,000 they received previously - for a total of $7,000 in winnings.

Erica Smith, EEZ Agency director, kicked off proceedings with a speech about the Competition, saying that he hoped the design would be used as a tool and catalyst to bring about positive change in the neighbourhoods.

"We believe that all the submissions presented by the competitors bring a design perspective that will elevate the physical environment and change the behavioural activities within North East Hamilton," she said.

Last week the competitors presented their designs to the Competition jury; EEZ stakeholders; and the broader community, with submissions from the average layman through to the experienced designer.

The public then cast their votes in person or online over the past week, with more than 1,000 votes received from the public, and combined with the votes from the jury, the results were decided.

Among the honourable mentions for the Gateways Competition were Heather Young, a landscape designer by profession, who proposed a vintage style of entryways and landscaping within North East Hamilton, composed of cobble stone style sidewalks and specific symbols for each district, and Nina Cotterill, an interior architecture undergraduate, and her teammate Warren Green, who presented a design of gateways which paid homage to Bermuda's vernacular such as shutter-like structures, limestone bases, sail-like canopies, and lush vegetation.

For the Till's Hill Competition, Dennis Beane Jr., a member of the public, submitted a design which eliminated traffic from North Court Street and turned Till's Hill completely into a terraced park with waterfalls and a cultural centre, while design firm SHY Architecture, represented by Simon Hodgson and intern Marco Piper put forward a scheme comprising a bridge over Till's Hill; an interim building constructed of recycled containers; and a permanent youth/community centre.

The BSBDC and the EEZ Agency will now develop these designs further and work out their costs to secure funding in order to start building the structures within the next year.