Royal College of Art MA degree show highlights

As part of Car Design News’ ongoing student show coverage, we ventured South across the River Thames to attend the Royal College of Art’s Intelligent Mobility degree show. 

Like last year, the show was full to the brim of fresh talent, eager to showcase their designs. Themes of brutalism and minimalism came to the forefront, with a focus on purposeful materiality and surfacing. A selection of these projects were designed to a sponsored brief set by Hyundai to redefine luxury.  

As a side note, it was refreshing to see students of all ages graduating – showing that there’s no time limit on following your passion. 

Below is only a selection of the impressive projects on show. 

Wench Liu – TRIA 

 TRIA is a premium single-person micro-mobility vehicle designed for short journeys. Liu imagines a future where 15-minute cities are commonplace, which is where communities are built a maximum of 15 minutes away from all essentials. TRIA sits between a motorcycle and a car and aims to reinvent perceptions of microcars meaning cheap. 

The name ‘TRIA’ comes from the word triangle, symbolising stability, compactness and high-tech precision. Triangle motifs repeat throughout the design, such as on the wheels. The exterior appears minimal and pure, and the interior offers two modes – driving and rest – following the design principle of form follows function. Liu believes in human-centric design which inspired her to prioritise comfort and make the interior buttons clear and tactile.  

What’s particularly interesting is the use of a flexible 3D knit material for the seating, so it can shift and adapt seamlessly from seated to lying down. 

On the rear, there’s a lip that extends outwards from the car to hold matching luggage.  

Eojin Jun – Rolls-Royce Ark 

Presented as a 15kg concrete 1:10 scale mock-up, Jun’s Rolls-Royce Ark is set in 2050 as a result of fatigue of too muchness. The aim of the ark is to bring peace, and provide a sanctuary from the ‘digital flood’, according to Jun. The full-scale car would measure 6.3 metres long and 2.4 metres wide (comparable to the 6x6 Rolls-Royce Phantom one-off.) 

He wanted the interior to be spacious, with no digital screens at all. In fact, his minimalistic approach led to him removing the steering wheel too. When asked whether this means it will be an autonomous vehicle, Jun has left that up to interpretation. The exterior surface design is very thick, so Yun was aware this meant that he has to make the shape very clear and edgy. 

The concrete model is just one version of the Rolls-Royce Ark, with Yun suggesting that he could see this in metal too. Concrete was chosen due to the architectural feeling it possesses; he accented this by including ‘exposed’ structural elements in the interior of the vehicle on the dashboard.   

Yingeo Li – Fragile.0 

Sponsored by Hyundai who set the brief of a new interpretation of luxury, the Fragile.0 concept interprets luxury as fragility.  

The project proposes that luxury can exist as a temporary and emotionally heightened moment – with Li likening this to a perfect sunset that cannot be permanently possessed and instead continues through memory. 

The design process began with a single sheet of highly reflective metallic paper. By tearing, folding and crushing it, Li explored how damage and deformation could generate a new form language. The resulting paper model became the foundation of the vehicle, informing its key sketches, surface structure and subsequent digital development. The final design retains the sharp transitions, overlapping planes and compressed volumes of the original material experiment. 

The lack of front windscreen makes the vehicle’s autonomous functionality immediately obvious. The wheels are another point of interest, almost appearing inflated with a diamond shape in the middle. The scooped side silhouette from the cabin to the front of the vehicle creates an elongated appearance that from the front appears as a smooth, uninterrupted surface. 

Luyang Sheng – Canoo Ayllu 

This pick-up truck is designed for the residents of the Bolivian Salt Lake area and aims to provide them with a durable and affordable pickup truck.  

Currently, vehicles in the Salt Lake area are all prone to corrosion by salt water, meaning local vehicles have a lifespan of only around five years. The exterior of the Canoo Ayllu will be coated with a fluoride that actively presents salt water from adhering to the plastic surface, with added titanium dioxide to enhance anti-aging and anti-UV properties. 

The exterior design draws inspiration from local traditional sculptures and their geometric shapes – with the Tiwanaku statue one point of reference. The body is made of plastic produced from local sugarcane waste, which is cost-effective and gives it the ability to resist saltwater cohesion. 

The simple design and the universal interfaces on the side of the body enable it to connect with various working equipment, reducing the weight of the motors on each tool. 

Aviv Yanowski – Semiotic Component  

This symbolic concept deconstructs the vehicle into its visual components, capturing the rich, endless stream of forms, symbols and signs that we observe in our daily life. Yanowski takes elements like the air-intakes and uses them as symbols without function. His idea is that if we look at components through a conscious lens, perhaps we can unlock new design opportunities.  

Yanowski was inspired by the conceptual artwork titled Comedian by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, which famously sold at Sotheby’s for $6.2 million. The contract was the element that was actually sold, not the banana itself – so the owner can call the artist to install this art piece at any time. Essentially, it is the ownership that is important. 

The interior was inspired by sculptural artist Ron Arad, seen through the layered form that makes up the side of the solo seat. 

Niall McEvoy – Haus 

Following the same brief from Hyundai as Yingeo Li, McEvoy interpreted luxury as authenticity.  

He began by conducting research into second-hand products – especially regarding cameras – and learning what makes them special. The emotion and physical weight of the product itself stood out as two main factors, which McEvoy believes adds to the emotional value.  

Bauhaus was also an inspiration in regard to authenticity – the idea of stripping away details from the main volume, which can be seen particularly in the panel lines. In terms of materiality, McEvoy was inspired by an artist called Sean Donovan who showcased an exhibition of fiberglass tubing that reflected light in an interesting way. 

Art of Steel also acted as an inspiration, which explains the concrete-like nature that echoes the folding of steel. For his package reference, McEvoy looked at the Hyundai Ioniq 6. 

Rayhan Arifinsyah – Uno+Tre 

This system aims to provide the mobility needs of post-car cities and young people that are yet to earn their licenses. It’s made up of two parts – an e-bike for one (Uno) which slides into an autonomous open-air shuttle for three (Tre). 

The static aspect of the two vehicles was designed to build a more positive relationship with cities, becoming placemaking tools and street furniture rather than just using space.  

The aspect of materiality was also a major topic, with the use of natural materials such as cork, natural fibres, and bioplastics to connect with nature rather than only accounting for performance metrics, as well as going for a mono-material and reduction approach with synthetics. What’s particularly fun about the bioplastic roof is that it’s malleable and when a light shines through it, a pattern appears that mimics the fullness of a tree. 

Jiabao Wang – Miss Britain 

This amphibious vehicle has been designed to accommodate for Britain’s waterborne lifestyle on canals, rivers, marinas and along the coast. Taking inspiration from the 1933 racing speedboat Miss Britain III as well as MG’s record-breaking EX181, the vehicle addresses the human need to connect with nature and water.  

Miss Britain III can be seen through the exterior form of Wang’s concept, especially in the pointed rear and metallic wrap. The vehicle changes from car to boat by lifting the front of the floor to fit to the upward curving face, with the propellers integrated into the wheels.  

The interior design follows true to the exterior, relying on smooth, uninterrupted surfaces, tactile buttons and aqua blue accents . There’s a roof that moves over the seating area when in car mode.   

Kian Mokhtarpour – FRV concept 2040 

Designed as part of the sixth BRP International Design Challenge, the FRV concept 2040 was designed to support first responders and civilians in a wildfire. 

The concept is built around a remotely operated tracked platform capable of navigating terrain that is inaccessible to conventional rescue vehicles. Instead of placing firefighters at greater risk, the vehicle enters hazardous areas to transport injured civilians, deliver emergency support and assist firefighting teams.  

One of the key innovations of the project is the separation between the propulsion platform and the rescue cabin. In critical situations where the vehicle can no longer evacuate safely, the protected cabin can detach from the chassis and be extracted by helicopter, allowing occupants to be rescued while the robotic platform remains behind.  

Beyond mobility, the project explores how multiple systems can work together to improve emergency response. These include adaptive suspension for challenging terrain, a fire-resistant survival cabin, advanced air filtration and ventilation, firefighter transportation and a structural exoskeleton that serves both protective and functional purposes.  

Throughout this project, Mokhtarpour tried to balance emotional storytelling with engineering logic. Every major design decision was driven by a functional purpose, aiming to create a concept that feels both visionary and technically believable.  

Shuari Liu – Camp Cab 

Liu’s project is a daily city car that can also be driven in the wild to camp on the weekends, thanks to the car’s ability to expand.  

The exterior design began by Liu looking to simple and pure shapes, taking inspiration from a four-cubed grid to aid the expansion. The lighting appears retro, with Liu referencing 1980s lamps through the design. 

In camping mode, the interior is completely reconfigured, with camping modules that create areas for resting, cooking and storage. Everything in the interior is portable and the seats are inflatable, allowing passengers to fold them up and take outside. Also, the grid on the roof doubles as a window so passengers can look up at the night sky.