A team of young engineers from Stewarton have been crowned champions of the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s LEGO League Scotland Final.

They were crowned champions at the competition final on Saturday, February 29 in Perth and will now have the opportunity to represent Scotland at the World Festival in Detroit, USA.

The winning team – Stewarton Stormers from Stewarton Academy – is made up of Natalie Smith (aged 16), Jessica Williamson (aged 16), Alex Adrain (aged 16), Morgan Cumming (aged 16), Matthew Lyon (aged 16), Matthew James (aged 16), Euan Gemmell (aged 16), Grant McClure (aged 16) and Ben Haine (aged 16).

Morgan Cumming, a member of the Stewarton Stormers, said: “I’m completely blown away by us winning the Scottish final and I’m so excited to experience what the world festival has to offer, as well as being the face of Scotland in the world of First Lego League.”

The science and technology challenge, which is aimed at 9-16-year-olds, tasks teams to build a robot to tackle a series of missions, and create an innovative solution to a real world problem. This year saw students learn all about architecture and the spaces we live in.

The team’s solution is an innovative idea about sustainable eco-friendly housing and mental wellbeing. Living in a rural area, the team were concerned that their community is continuing to lose agricultural land to new housing developments.

They were also concerned that these new housing developments lacked spaces for the community to gather in. To combat these issues the team created an eco-village, Brightside, featuring 360 degree rotating housing with glass geodome roofs able to harness energy from the sun, garages built underground to provide more green spaces, disability access properties, and community hubs.

Mhairi Taylor, the team’s coach, said: “Ecstatic does not even cover our feelings for our pupils right now... we are over the moon to have won this opportunity. The impact that it has had on the pupils involved and our school community cannot be measured. Our team members have developed essential employability skills and now lead and develop these skills in their peers through volunteering as Young Stem Leaders in our school.”