A Croydon architecture student has been rewarded for displaying the "highest standard of all-round excellence."

Helen Keegan, a student at the University of Portsmouth’s School of Architecture was recently awarded the Diploma Prize which celebrates the talents of its students.

The judges were blown away with Ms Keegan's project ‘the museum of secrets’, which visualised a new museum in Winchester to capture the "hidden nature, and surprises of the city’s pathways and unexpected discoveries."

“This project looks at the museum as a protector and sharer of treasures," Ms Keegan said.

"A place of refuge and escape is necessary in today’s fast-paced, fluid and distracting cultural environment.

“Children inherently enjoy being in ‘secret places’ which provide separation from the external world. As adults, we rarely get this chance.”

Prize judge Dominic Gaunt praised the creativity of the design.

“Helen identified a key characteristic of the city in finding joyous moments and ‘pocket spaces’," he said.

"Superbly presented with clear thought processes, this project is the very worthy winner of the best overall project.”