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WINTER AWARDS 2022

Future Cities Forum has released the names of the winners and the short-listed projects in our Winter Awards 2022.


The awards were given across seven categories of the built environment. 

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Please see our judges below. We are extremely grateful for their commitment in taking part in our Winter 2022 Awards

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Future Cities Forum Winter Awards 2022

Our awards winners were be selected from short-listed projects across seven categories: Cultural Cities, master planning, science and healthcare buildings with R&D campus design, Housing projects, Infrastructure / Infrastructure-related development, Future workplaces, and Place-making and High Streets  - set by Future Cities Forum. Some project inclusions are finished while others are at the planning stage.

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Our judges for Winter 2022 were:

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Angela Barnicle, Chief Officer, Asset Management & Regeneration, Leeds City Council

Helen Taylor, Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg

Jennifer Daothong, Executive Director of Housing, Regeneration & Public Realm, London Borough of Lewisham

Anna Shapiro, Partner, Sheppard Robson

Claire McColgan CBE, Director, Culture Liverpool

Deborah Williams, Head of Midlands Region, Historic England

Ellie Evans, Managing Partner, Volterra

Alex Anderson, Partner, RPC (Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP)

Claire Clement, Associate, HOK

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Cultural Cities 

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Cultural organisations have been relieved to see the back of Covid-19 restrictions, but many have been left with hefty debts. Covid-19 has shown us however just how vital accessible cultural infrastructure (galleries, museums, theatres, live music and performance venues) is to human health and well-being as well as the prosperity and attractiveness of cities. As well as recovery in footfall, do they have practical strategies to open out to communities beyond their physical walls and how are they doing this? Are there awards to be given for those projects that protect cultural heritage while modernizing for new audiences? Do they act as modern cultural anchors for the confident self-expression, brand, and identity of their cities?

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The winner in this category was:

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Museum of Making, Derby / Bauman Lyons

Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill - Bauman Lyons Architects Leeds

Museum of Making | Derby Museums

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Helen Taylor, Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg commented:

 

'The Museum of Making really stood out for me. It's beautiful, and the long term relationship that the designers had with the organisation has been important. The diversity of activities and age range of people using the space make this a stand-out project.'

 

Ellie Evans, Managing Partner, Volterra:

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'I liked the fact that the Museum of Making is linked to industry and to things that had happened or were made in Derby. Getting people, especially kids involved, in doing and making things in museums is something we (in the UK) could do more of. It's really impressive.'

 

Deborah Williams, Head of Region - Midlands, Historic England:

 

'What struck me about the Derby Silk Mill project is the co-creation and co-production taking place.. I liked the citizen makers working with people who are not just observers but the visit becomes part of their own learning journey. Derby is in many ways an undiscovered gem.'

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The runners up were:

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Horniman Museum, Forest Hill, London / MICA

Horniman Museum (micaarchitects.com)

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Gainsborough’s House Museum, Sudbury Suffolk / ZMMA

Reviving an Artist’s Birthplace (gainsborough.org)

Gainsborough’s House | ZMMA

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Master-planning - regeneration and mixed-use

In this category, we looked at the sustainability of city districts. What will survive as a piece of ‘leading design’ that generations will look back at as outstanding? What are the characteristics of places that people love to live and work in? How important is biodiversity and re-designing car dominated city districts?

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The winner in this category was:

 

Edinburgh – Granton Waterfront and Granton Station Square (Edinburgh City Council / Collective Architecture & Team for master-planning)

Developments so far – The City of Edinburgh Council

Granton Waterfront - Development Framework February 2020 (edinburgh.gov.uk)

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Deborah Williams, Head of Region - Midlands, Historic England:

 

'Edinburgh's Granton Waterfront has job creation, strong net zero ambitions, and a vision of delivering a heritage programme. The creating of place is very important. Identifiably it's a development from where it is, rather than just anywhere.'

 

Helen Taylor, Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg:

 

'The threads - in the master-plan document - on the fabric of space is very good. You can forget the other parts of Edinburgh (when you visit the city centre) so connecting Granton Waterfront is very important'.

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The runners up were:

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Luton Street regeneration, Marylebone / Edgware Road, City of Westminster (Bouygues UK / LinkCity / Westminster Builds)

Construction completed on Luton Street Regeneration Scheme | Westminster City Council

Carrick Yard (churchstreet.org)

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Future St Petersfield, Greater Manchester (Tameside Council / TODD Architects / LDA Design)

Future St Petersfield (tameside.gov.uk)

St. Petersfield, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Greater Manchester - TODD Architects

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Science Cities - healthcare, science / R&D campuses

 

Scientific collaboration and investment –across public and private sector – has been centre-stage during the pandemic, but how much do the environments of science and tech campuses and their component buildings and amenities create opportunities for those ‘lightning bulb’ conversations and moments of discovery? How are these buildings and masterplans designed to integrate with their surrounding communities and do they add architecturally and environmentally to their host cities? Does the campus design incorporate affordable residential and areas for well-being?

 

The winner in this category was Springfield Gardens, Alder Hey:

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New mixed-use housing and R&D campus at Springfield Gardens, Alder Hey, Liverpool (BDP)

New healthy homes for Alder Hey Site (bdp.com)

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Angela Barnicle, Chief Officer, Asset Management & Regeneration, Leeds City Council commented:

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'You have to work very hard at this site (at Alder Hey) but it is a real opportunity to create substantial change in a district.'

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Jennifer Daothong, Executive Director for Housing, Regeneration & Public Realm, Lewisham Council:

 

'The stand-out is Alder Hey. It's using the opportunity of a health and innovation clustering to address tricky end-uses that have to be pulled together carefully.'

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St. John’s Innovation Park, Cambridge (Sheppard Robson for St John’s College and Turnstone)

New 170,000 sq ft development at St John’s Innovation Park gains unanimous approval | Turnstone (turnstoneestates.com)

Sheppard Robson

 

Life and Mind Building, Oxford University

Home | The Life and Mind Building (ox.ac.uk)

Housing schemes

The Building Beautiful Commission has tried to establish standards for pleasant places for people to live in, away from the poorly managed 1960s tower block that brought much isolation and mental illness while splintering communities. Are we achieving residential communities that are social, well-connected to jobs and for travel to cultural or sporting activities, with local shops, workspaces and parks?

 

The winner was:

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Globe Road, Leeds – residential and mixed-use build-to-rent neighbourhood from ‘urban wasteland’ for Get Living (Sheppard Robson / Buro Happold)

Globe Road - Buro Happold

Sheppard Robson

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Helen Taylor, Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg:

 

'Globe Road edged it. Buro Happold got a grip on how these buildings might be operated in future, and the opportunities for residents to come together.'

 

Deborah Williams, Head of Region - Midlands, Historic England:

 

'I like the thoughtfulness of the Globe Road project: the acoustics, the need for ventilation balance, the aims to make sustainable communities, with a variety of different spaces to bring energy into the neighbourhood.'

 

Alexandra Anderson, Partner, RPC:

 

'In terms of the judging criteria it has to be Globe Road: the thought that has gone into it, the communal spaces - and as someone who has worked extensively on litigation cases around noise and buildings - they have really thought about that aspect.'

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Claire Clement, Associate, HOK:

'Globe Road has activation on the street level and a space to use for all the community.'

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The runners up were:

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Avon Street, Bristol – student housing in Temple Quarter (Chapman Taylor)

Chapman Taylor | Avon Street Student Accommodation


 

The Gables, Crosby (for FP Homes by DK Architects) – 30 new homes on brownfield land

The Gables - DK Architects (dk-architects.com)

Infrastructure & transport-related development

The UK government has pushed the need for better infrastructure. Is the planning of current infrastructure projects meeting design ideals and is infrastructure being built as a ‘piece of city’ serving the dual function of sustainable transport facility, and community hub with workspaces, retail and residential? How far are these projects encouraging sustainable forms of transport, while connecting cities, towns and districts?

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The winner in this category was:

 

Leicester St Margaret’s Bus Station re-modelled, rebuilt and re-opened as UK’s first net zero bus station (BDP / Leicester City Council)

Date set for opening of Leicester’s new net zero carbon bus station

UK’s first net zero bus station opens - BDP.com

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Helen Taylor, Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg:

 

'I loved that fact that they (BDP) had taken what was there at St Margaret's Bus Station and made it better. It's about having a positive impact on the city and Leicester needs that.'

 

Deborah Williams, Head of Region - Midlands, Historic England:

 

'Typically rail stations get lots of attention, and bus stations are 'also rans'. It's the fact that they have created a sense of place in this part of Leicester that is really laudable.'

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New station for Barking Riverside (Transport for London / Weston Williamson / Arcadis)

Barking Riverside extension - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk)

Barking Riverside Station opens to the… | Weston Williamson + Partners

 

Euston HS2 masterplan (Grimshaw / Arup / WSP / Haptic / LDA Design for HS2 Ltd / TfL / Network Rail)

HS2 London Euston Station – Projects – GRIMSHAW

Future Workplaces

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What are the design ingredients that will draw employees back to the office? How do these new designs embrace health and wellbeing with break out spaces for new ways of working? How are they integrated into their surroundings?

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The winner in this category was:

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BBC Studios Bristol – new workplace (designed by HOK with Studio B / AECOM / Cath Leach and Currie & Brown)

BBC Studios Unveils New HOK-Designed Bristol Workplace - HOK

 

Jennifer Daothong, Executive Director for Housing, Regeneration & Public Realm, Lewisham Council:

 

'The case made in the BBC project on designing for hypo-sensitive and hyper-sensitive people was interesting'

 

Helen Taylor, Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg:

 

'They have created diversity of space and activity in the BBC building'

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The runners up were:

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71 and 72 The Kingsway - Swansea’s new co-working spaces for creative and tech businesses: 71 and 72 The Kingsway (Architecture00 / The Urbanists / WSP / Gleeds for Swansea City Council)

71 and 72 The Kingsway - Swansea

 

Manchester Goods Yard – new workspace in Enterprise City (Chapman Taylor for clients Allied London / Aviva Investors)

Chapman Taylor | Manchester Goods Yard

 

Place-making and High Streets

Cities are working hard to re-invigorate high streets and central business districts, ravaged by Covid-19, changes in working patterns and the decline of physical retail. How inventive are the projects in concept, how do they embrace sustainability, create free access, and how do they re-connect communities across dividing infrastructure and attract footfall?

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The winner in this category was:

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Borough Yards, London SE1 (MARK / SPPARC)

Borough Yards - MARK (thisismark.com)

SPPARC – Borough Yards (spparcstudio.com)

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Angela Barnicle, Chief Officer, Asset Management & Regeneration, Leeds City Council:

 

'It's stunning. It really draws you in. It's unique in a mega-city which is a challenge!'

 

Helen Taylor, Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg:

 

'It's a little bit of magic. I have been there...suddenly there is a whole bit that wasn't there before. They have created little spaces that you can discover. There is plenty of imagination and inspiration.'

 

Jennifer Daothong, Executive Director for Housing, Regeneration & Public Realm, Lewisham Council:

 

'Borough Yards is gorgeous. Real sense of place. Bold striking design and hard work done there to safe-guard the detail and history.'

 

Claire Clement, Associate, HOK:

 

'They have managed to create a magical place out of left-over spaces.'

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The runners up were:

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Tilbury, Essex - Towns Funds Plan (Thurrock, Port of Tilbury)

About – Tilbury Town’s Fund (tilburytownfund.co.uk)

 

Waterloo masterplan (Grimshaw for Network Rail, Lambeth Council)

Lambeth Council and Network Rail commission Grimshaw for new Waterloo Station Masterplan – News – Media – GRIMSHAW

Waterloo Station Masterplan: Architects Grimshaw set for commission - Love LambethLove Lambeth

 

helen taylor riba-fellow-helen-taylor_edited.jpg

Helen Taylor

Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg

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As Director of Practice, Helen is responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of programmes to maintain and enhance the high levels of technical competence and expertise across the whole practice, to ensure legal and best practice compliance. Helen’s commitment to sustainability, diversity and inclusive design, supports the implementation of new initiatives to assist the practice in achieving its quality management, sustainability and corporate social and environmental responsibility objectives. Specialising in education design for many years, particularly early years, primary, secondary and special schools, further education and technical colleges, she led the SHaW Futures Academy project which led to a book entitled “Urban Schools: Designing for High Density” published by RIBA. This was awarded the AJ100 Collaboration of the Year award in 2020.

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Helen is passionate about cross industry collaboration, engagement and research. She was a founder member of Architects for Change, the RIBA’s Equality & Diversity Forum, elected both a RIBA council and board member, and awarded Fellowship of the RIBA in 2020. She played a significant role in the establishment of Modern Apprenticeships in Architecture, and is an external examiner at the Bartlett and an Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University.

Claire Clement HOK cropped.jpg

Claire Clement

Associate, HOK

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Claire has been an Associate and Senior Project Architect in the London studio of HOK for over three years, joining from international Swiss practice Herzog & de Meuron where she worked for 9 years on stadia and mixed-use tower projects including Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux and a proposed stadium for Chelsea FC. Claire trained in Versailles and in Paris. 

Deborah Williams Historic England cropped.jpg

Deborah Williams

Head of Region - Midlands, Historic England

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Deborah supports the Historic England's Regional Director in the Midlands by ensuring that the work of Historic England in the region results in well-informed decisions that serve people and places well and keep places alive for current and future generations. She leads in the integration of different skills and disciplines across our teams developing collaborative ways of working to deliver our work.

 

Deborah joined Historic England in 1990. Prior to taking up the role of Head of Region she led a specialist team responsible for the protection of the historic environment through listing, scheduling and registration.  Before joining Historic England she worked in a variety of public and private sector roles providing heritage services.  Deborah is a member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

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Angela Barnicle_edited.jpg

Angela Barnicle

Chief Officer,

Asset Management & Regeneration, Leeds City Council

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Angela has a passion for cities, economic development and with it delivering transformational change and inclusive growth.  Having dealt with all aspects of commercial property and development, she now leads the Asset Management and Regeneration Programmes for Leeds City Council, having joined in 2017.  Here Angela focuses on delivering optimum place solutions and realising development opportunities for this international City, at the heart of the UK.

The Asset Management & Regeneration team is currently engaged in a number of Place Programmes across the Leeds City Region including the delivery of the East Leeds Orbital Extension, which will release an additional 5,000 homes for the City, the ongoing redevelopment of the South Bank including the delivery of British Library North and the Leeds Innovation District.  In addition, Angela leads the programme team for the Leeds City Region HS2 Growth Strategy and Leeds Railway Station redevelopment.

Before joining Leeds in 2017 Angela worked for Deloitte's real estate team on large scale city centre development schemes. She qualified as a commercial practice surveyor.

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Jennifer_Daothong_Lewisham_edited.jpg

Jennifer Daothong

Executive Director for Housing, Regeneration & Public Realm, Lewisham Council

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Prior to joining Lewisham in October 2021, Jennifer was Commercial Director for Housing Delivery at the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Before that she was Head of Strategy & Sustainability at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. As Sustainability lead she was responsible for the design and implementation of the London Legacy Development Corporation's environmental sustainability policy across town planning, design and development, events management, parkland and venue management and corporate commitments including the carbon reduction commitment. Jennifer holds a MSc in Housing & regeneration from the LSE and also in International Relations & Affairs.

Anna Shapiro Sheppard Robson.jfif

Anna Shapiro

Partner, Sheppard Robson

 

Anna sits on Sheppard Robson's Design Review Panel, lending her expertise and long-standing fascination with cities to the group that promotes design quality and innovation.

Anna is responsible for strategic urban projects, from housing and regeneration, to bio-medical and educational clusters. Anna often works on large-scale developments that explore new ways of living, combining sensitivity with bold thinking, to create neighbourhoods that unlock the civic and cultural potential of towns and cities.

Drawing on her academic and professional experience, Anna works alongside clients, stakeholders and the project team to engage with the wider community. She believes that every project has the potential to be greater than the sum of its parts.

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Anna is a course master and design tutor at the Housing and Urbanism Graduate programme, Architectural Association School, London, and has lectured and served on juries internationally. She is an initiator and an active member of Collective Formations—an international design research group, focusing on the challenges of new spatial models emerging globally and shaping the contemporary city. Anna uses drawing and painting as an exploratory tool to drive and formulate the communication process.

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Ellie-Evans Volterra.jpg

Ellie Evans

Managing Partner, Volterra

 

Ellie is a partner at Volterra, specialising in the economic impact of developments and proposals, and manages many of the company’s projects on economic impact, regeneration, transport and development.

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With thirteen years experience at Volterra delivering high quality projects to clients across the public and private sector, Ellie has expertise in developing methods of estimating economic impact where complex issues exist with regards to deadweight, displacement and additionality.

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Ellie has significant experience in estimating the economic impact across all types of property development including residential, leisure, office and mixed use schemes.

Projects  include the luxury hotel London Peninsula, Battersea Power Station and the Nova scheme at London Victoria. Ellie has also led studies across the country estimating the economic and regeneration impact of proposed transport investments, including studies on HS2 and Crossrail.

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Ellie holds a degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Cambridge.

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Claire McColgan Liverpool.jpg

Claire McColgan CBE

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Director of Culture Liverpool, responsible for Legacy, Major EventsLiverpool Film OfficeCruise LiverpoolTourismCity Halls and Cultural Policy since 2009.

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Claire spearheads multi award-winning events of national and international acclaim including the unique Royal de Luxe Giant Spectaculars with combined audience of 1.8m, (Visit England’s Tourism Event of the Year 2016) and Three QueensOne Magnificent City, which attracted 1million visitors to the shores of the Mersey. 

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A champion of public engagement in arts and culture, in 2000 Claire developed the successful participation programme (Creative Communities) that was instrumental in Liverpool’s transformative Capital of Culture bid.  In 2006 she was appointed Executive Producer of European Capital of Culture with responsibility for major events, public participation and community engagement.

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Claire is a national and international advisor on best practice in Culture acting for Arts Council England and Ireland, the British CouncilLocal Government Association and as consultant advisor to the London Borough of Culture programme. 

Alex Anderson_edited.jpg

Alex Anderson

Partner, Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP ('RPC')

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An insurance lawyer with considerable expertise in the construction and surveyor sectors, Alexandra Anderson has a wealth of experience fighting her clients' corner when claims arise.

On the construction side, Alexandra gets involved in complex and high-value disputes involving projects in the UK and worldwide, predominantly acting for architects and engineers.

Either via their insurers and upon direct instructions, Alexandra regularly gets drafted in to act for surveyors on the defence of a wide variety of claims, arising from all aspects of the typical surveying practice, from survey and valuation to property management and receiverships.

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Alexandra is a regular speaker and author on a wide range of industry topics. She co-edits Hogarth's 'Insurance for the Construction Industry' and was involved in the last 3 revisions to the RICS's minimum terms.

 

She sits on the Market Liaison Group and works with RICS on a variety of risk management and education issues.

SUMMER AWARDS 2022

Future Cities Forum has released the names of the winners from the short-listed projects in our Summer Awards 2022.


The awards have been given across seven categories of the built environment. 

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Please see our judges below. We are extremely grateful for their commitment in taking part in our Summer 2022 Awards

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Future Cities Forum Summer Awards 2022

Our awards winners have been selected from short-listed projects across seven categories: master planning, science buildings and R&D campus design, Housing projects, Infrastructure / Infrastructure-related development, Cultural buildings, Net Zero planning and energy, and Future High Streets set by Future Cities Forum. Some project inclusions are finished while others are at the planning stage.

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Our judges were:

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Christina Calderato, Director of Transport Planning & Strategy, Transport for London, Ellie Evans, Managing Partner, Volterra , Claudia Kenyatta, Head of Regions, Historic England, Helen Taylor, Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg, Anna Shapiro, Partner, Sheppard Robson, Vanessa Lefrancois, Chief Executive, Oxford Playhouse and Esther Croft, Development Director, Reef Group- see below for full profiles.

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Master Planning

In this category, we looked at the sustainability of city districts. What will survive as a piece of ‘leading design’ that generations will look back at as outstanding? What are the characteristics of places that people love to live and work in? How important is biodiversity and re-designing car dominated city districts?

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The winner was:

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THE CITY OF BARCELONA / AJUNTAMENT DE BARCELONA: SUPER-BLOCK PROJECT - L'EIXAMPLE DISTRICT GREEN STREETS AND SQUARES

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City of Barcelona – one third of L'Eixample district central streets closed to cars – with four new squares

Future becomes present in the green squares and streets of L’Exiample | Info Barcelona | Barcelona City Council

Welcome to Superilles | Superilles (barcelona.cat)

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The judges comments included:

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'Barcelona has a really nice, clear strategy which also looked back to heritage of earlier 19th century planning’ Claudia Kenyatta, Historic England

 

‘Barcelona is very instructive for other cities…the ambition and the view on re-thinking the rigid grid is something to celebrate’ Anna Shapiro, Sheppard Robson

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The runners up were:

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Morden Wharf, by the Thames, Royal Borough of Greenwich (OMA)

Morden Wharf (oma.com)

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Hebei Province, China – Xiong’an District (Chapman Taylor)

Chapman Taylor | Chapman Taylor creates competition-winning urban…

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Science Cities and campus development

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Scientific collaboration and investment –across public and private sector – have been centre-stage during the pandemic, but how much do the environments of science and tech campuses and their component buildings and amenities create opportunities for those ‘lightning bulb’ conversations and moments of discovery? How are these buildings and masterplans designed to integrate with their surrounding communities and do they add architecturally and environmentally to their host cities?

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THE WINNER IS: CUMBRIA UNIVERSITY'S CARLISLE CAMPUS CITADELS PROJECT

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Imperial College London and University of Cumbria – and Carlisle Citadels Project

Next steps for Carlisle Citadels campus project (cumbria.ac.uk)

University of Cumbria and Imperial announce plan for new Carlisle medical school | Imperial News | Imperial College London

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The judges' comments included:

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‘Cumbria University’s Carlisle campus project is a great use of levelling up funding…using education and public realm’ (Ellie Evans, Volterra)

 

‘I admire the Carlisle project’s ambition and true openness on community engagement…it will have tremendous impact.’ (Esther Croft, Reef Group)

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The runners up were:

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Leeds University – Sir William Henry Bragg Building – adaptation and expansion

The Sir William Henry Bragg Building: Changing the way we think about research - ADP Architecture (adp-architecture.com)

Sir William Henry Bragg Building is now open - Estates and Facilities (leeds.ac.uk)

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University of Bern Muesmatt campus masterplan, Switzerland

Grimshaw wins competition to masterplan University of Bern Muesmatt campus – News – Media – GRIMSHAW

Housing

 

The Building Beautiful Commission has tried to establish standards for pleasant places for people to live in, away from the poorly managed 1960s tower block that brought much isolation and mental illness while splintering communities. Are we achieving residential communities that are social, well-connected to jobs and for travel to cultural or sporting activities, with local shops, workspaces and parks? Are they designed properly for key workers, on whom we have depended so much during the pandemic?

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THE WINNER IS:  'ECO PODS FOR VULNERABLE PEOPLE' (DIOCESE OF GLOUCESTER, MMC HOMEBUILDING LTD., SOUTH WEST RE-OFFENDING PARTNERSHIP, ONE PUBLIC ESTATE PROGRAMME)

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Eco pods for vulnerable people – One Public Estate, first purchased by the Diocese of Gloucester

Eco pod homes for vulnerable people – Diocese of Gloucester (anglican.org)

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The judges' comments included:

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'This has the potential to be up-scaled but importantly the skills development for prisoners is really exciting’ - Vanessa Lefrancois, Oxford Playhouse

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'The eco-pods project is an idea that can be rolled out….I can imagine architecture students really wanting to  be involved in a project like this’ - Helen Taylor, Scott Brownrigg

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Ebury Bridge flats in Westminster: renewal of 1930s estate of 750+ homes

Ebury Bridge site handed over to contractor Bouygues UK to start construction | Westminster City Council

Projects | Ebury Bridge Renewal

Ebury Bridge Renewal Masterplan — astudio

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Camden Goods Yard

Context (2017) and current development

Council looks to manage development in Camden Goods Yard area

Camden Goods Yard | New Homes in Camden | Berkeley Group

Infrastructure and transport-related development

The UK government has been pushing the need for better infrastructure. Is the planning of current infrastructure projects meeting design ideals and is infrastructure being built as a ‘piece of city’ with workspaces, retail and residential? How far are these projects – in Europe and the UK - encouraging sustainable forms of transport, while connecting cities, towns and districts in a gender-neutral way?

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THE WINNER IS: ELIZABETH LINE WHITECHAPEL STATION

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Elizabeth Line Whitechapel Station and connection to Royal London Hospital (TfL)

Whitechapel Elizabeth line station opens - BDP.com

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The judges' comments included:

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‘We should be able to celebrate the scale of this project, and the fact that ambition has been achieved’ Anna Shapiro, Sheppard Robson

 

'Amazing use of listed buildings for the Whitechapel project' Esther Croft, Reef Group

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THE RUNNERS UP WERE:

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Rome: Tuscolana railway station site with high eco credentials (Arney Fender Katsalidis)

Rome Tuscolana C40 | AFK (afkstudios.com)

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Birmingham Perry Barr station upgrade for Commonwealth Games and wider regeneration plan

Perry Barr station and bus interchange (wmre.org.uk)

Perry Barr regeneration | Birmingham City Council

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Culture

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It has been a hard pandemic across the UK and Europe especially for cultural organisations, juggling financing and opening times. As well as recovery in footfall, do they have practical strategies to open out to communities beyond their physical walls and how are they doing this? Are there awards to be given for those projects that protect cultural heritage while modernizing for new audiences? Do they act as cultural anchors for the confident self-expression, brand, and identity of their cities?

 

THE WINNER WAS: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN HOUSE (KENGO KUMA)

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Hans Christian Andersen House, Denmark

the house - HCA House (hcandersenshus.dk)

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Judges' comments included:

‘The HC project leapt out…it provides a sophisticated experience for children and does not speak down to them. I like how they talked about the power of storytelling. Stories can bridge the world.’  Helen Taylor, Scott Brownrigg

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Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall - AL_A (ala.uk.com)

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Dartmouth New Hampshire USA – Hopkins Center for the Arts

Dartmouth Hopkins Center for the Arts - Snøhetta (snohetta.com)

Net Zero

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Cities are working hard to manage and drive down carbon emissions. How inventive are the projects in concept, how do they re-use materials, and do they include job creation in their brief? Do they reach out widely to communities, schools and businesses, to educate and inspire around low-carbon solutions? Do these set a standard for others to follow?


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THEWINNER IS: CITU LEEDS - CLIMATE INNOVATION DISTRICT

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Citu Leeds, Climate Innovation District

Climate-Innovatoin-District-Brochure-August-2021.pdf (citu.co.uk)

Judges' comments included:

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'Citu Leeds is well thought out, great for family with green space in a city centre, good on construction techniques’ – Esther Croft, Reef Group

They – at Citu - have really thought about social infrastructure like the primary school that you need for this scale of development’ Ellie Evans, Volterra

Small is big’ – pay attention to small important projects to these as they may have a cumulative effect. Regional capitals need smaller projects like this and it’s instructive for the rest of the country.’ Anna Shapiro, Sheppard Robson

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RUNNERS UP:

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Electric Tower, Manhattan for J P Morgan Chase – re-using / upcycling 97% of materials from the demolished Union Carbide building

JPMorgan Chase Unveils Plans for New Global Headquarters Building in New York City | News | Foster + Partners (fosterandpartners.com)

 

Duchy of Cornwall – South-East Faversham, Kent

South East Faversham - Duchy of Cornwall (sefaversham.co.uk)

Faversham Characterisation Study - South East Faversham (sefaversham.co.uk)

High Streets

​High streets remain in decline in some areas, but an increasing number of local authorities and developers have invested in heritage to bring back interest and life into town centres. The decline of the department store has been bemoaned by some but has given opportunity for university use, food markets or for new hotel offers. In other projects, design has made ‘closed-off’ university institutions, open to the community and has supported retail provision.

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THE WINNER: GLOUCESTER, KING'S SQUARE AND DEBENHAMS BUILDING REGENERATION INTO A UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

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Gloucester, King’s Square and Debenhams building regeneration into university campus

Drone video shows regeneration of Kings Square in action - Gloucester City Council

Team appointed to transform former Debenhams store into University of Gloucestershire’s city centre campus - University of Gloucestershire (glos.ac.uk

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Judges' comments included:

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‘The Gloucester site is a fantastic opportunity to find a future for a set of problematic buildings…they have thought very clearly about connecting to the transport hub’ Claudia Kenyatta, Historic England

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‘Gloucester is the most innovative of the three projects…because of the conversion (of the Debenhams store) to university use. Town shopping centres are struggling, so this will make a big difference.’ Ellie Evans, Volterra

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Leicester – Granby Street regeneration – part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone plan

Work to begin on Granby Street gateway revamp (leicester.gov.uk)

 

Paisley town centre investment, Renfrewshire

£100m town centre investment - Renfrewshire Website

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CLAUDIA KENYATTA

Director of Regions, Historic England


Claudia oversees Historic England’s work in the regions, where her team offers expertise and advice and builds the effective partnerships that help the organisation to explain, protect and care for the historic environment.


Claudia joined Historic England in September 2018 as Director of Regional Delivery.   Prior to that, Claudia worked in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, where her roles included Head of Heritage, Head of Ceremonials and Director of the Digital Economy Unit.  Her last role before joining Historic England was as Corporate Strategy Director.  Before joining DCMS, Claudia worked in a variety of roles in the Cabinet Office and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now MHCLG).


Claudia is a Trustee of Lauderdale House.

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ELLIE EVANS

Senior Partner, Volterra

Ellie is a partner at Volterra, specialising in the economic impact of developments and proposals, and manages many of the company’s projects on economic impact, regeneration, transport and development.

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With thirteen years experience at Volterra delivering high quality projects to clients across the public and private sector, Ellie has expertise in developing methods of estimating economic impact where complex issues exist with regards to deadweight, displacement and additionality.

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Ellie has significant experience in estimating the economic impact across all types of property development including residential, leisure, office and mixed use schemes.

Projects  include the luxury hotel London Peninsula, Battersea Power Station and the Nova scheme at London Victoria. Ellie has also led studies across the country estimating the economic and regeneration impact of proposed transport investments, including studies on HS2 and Crossrail.

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Ellie holds a degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Cambridge.

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ANNA SHAPIRO

Partner, Sheppard Robson

Anna sits on Sheppard Robson's Design Review Panel, lending her expertise and long-standing fascination with cities to the group that promotes design quality and innovation.

Anna is responsible for strategic urban projects, from housing and regeneration, to bio-medical and educational clusters. Anna often works on large-scale developments that explore new ways of living, combining sensitivity with bold thinking, to create neighbourhoods that unlock the civic and cultural potential of towns and cities.

Drawing on her academic and professional experience, Anna works alongside clients, stakeholders and the project team to engage with the wider community. She believes that every project has the potential to be greater than the sum of its parts.

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Anna is a course master and design tutor at the Housing and Urbanism Graduate programme, Architectural Association School, London, and has lectured and served on juries internationally. She is an initiator and an active member of Collective Formations—an international design research group, focusing on the challenges of new spatial models emerging globally and shaping the contemporary city. Anna uses drawing and painting as an exploratory tool to drive and formulate the communication process.

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ESTHER CROFT

Development Director, Reef Group

Esther Croft is a Development Director at Reef Group, over-seeing the construction and design of The Forum in Gloucester, a project which is regenerating a core part of the city centre into a mixed-use district with a digital and technology campus, hotel, retail, workspace and residential.

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Before joining Reef Group in 2018 Esther was a Director at LDA Design, and prior to that an Area Manager at the Homes and Communities Agency.

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HELEN TAYLOR

Director of Practice, Scott Brownrigg

As Director of Practice, Helen is responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of programmes to maintain and enhance the high levels of technical competence and expertise across the whole practice, to ensure legal and best practice compliance. Helen’s commitment to sustainability, diversity and inclusive design, supports the implementation of new initiatives to assist the practice in achieving its quality management, sustainability and corporate social and environmental responsibility objectives. Specialising in education design for many years, particularly early years, primary, secondary and special schools, further education and technical colleges, she led the SHaW Futures Academy project which led to a book entitled “Urban Schools: Designing for High Density” published by RIBA. This was awarded the AJ100 Collaboration of the Year award in 2020.

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Helen is passionate about cross industry collaboration, engagement and research. She was a founder member of Architects for Change, the RIBA’s Equality & Diversity Forum, elected both a RIBA council and board member, and awarded Fellowship of the RIBA in 2020. She played a significant role in the establishment of Modern Apprenticeships in Architecture, and is an external examiner at the Bartlett and an Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University.

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CHRISTINA CALDERATO

Director of Transport Planning & Strategy, Transport for London

Christina is Transport for London's Director of Transport Planning & Strategy. For the last 10 years, she has worked across a diverse range of policy areas at TfL and led the team that developed the current Mayor’s Transport Strategy. In her current role, Christina manages teams leading on freight, road danger reduction, air quality and Healthy Streets.

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Christina holds an MPhil from Cambridge University and a BA from the University of Birmingham, 

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VANESSA LEFRANCOIS

Chief Executive - Oxford Playhouse

Chief Executive of Oxford Playhouse, Vanessa Lefrancois joined the theatre in June 2020 after four and a half years as Chief Executive and Artistic Director at The Brewhouse Theatre and Arts Centre in Taunton, where she led the renaissance after the closure in 2013. She has an MBA from Cass Business School,  

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Oxford Playhouse and its Burton Taylor Studio present and produce a wide range of live performance.

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The Playhouse produces and tours its own shows, hosts Artists in Residence and presents Playhouse Plays Out, an ongoing series of off-site events which happen at locations across the county.

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The theatre's Participation team work with over 15,000 people each year through post show discussions, workshops, work experience, holiday schemes, a youth theatre and a young people’s theatre company.

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MARCELINA ZIELINSKA

Director, Chapman Taylor

Director, Chapman Taylor, Marcelina Zielinkska, joined the firm in 2007
and was promoted to Director in 2017. Having worked initially on the
successful delivery of St, David's 2 in Cardiff, she then moved to the
UK concept design team to focus on the early design stages of major
projects. She has a love for urban environments and a keen interest in
the master planning and design of complex mixed-use developments as
catalysts for urban regeneration. There will be awards given in the
areas of master planning, net zero and sustainability, housing,
infrastructure, science buildings, high streets and cultural assets.

WINTER AWARDS 2021

Future Cities Forum is releasing the names of our award winners and runners-up in our Winter Awards 2021.


The awards have been given across seven categories of the built environment. 

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Please see our judges below. We are extremely grateful for their commitment in taking part in our Winter 2021 Awards

 

 

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Future Cities Forum Winter Awards 2021

Our awards winners were picked out of a selection of three separate projects across seven categories: master planning, science buildings and R&D campus design, Housing projects, Infrastructure / Infrastructure-related development, Cultural buildings, Net Zero planning and energy, and Future High Streets set by Future Cities Forum. Some project inclusions are finished while others are at the planning stage.

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Our judges were:

Sadie Morgan,  Founding Partner of architects dRMM and a Commissioner of the National Infrastructure Commission ; Dr Pip Simpson, Director of Design, Estate and FuturePlan at the V&A Museum; Annelie Kvick-Thompson Partner, Grimshaw; Marcelina Zielinska Director, Chapman Taylor; Claire McColgan, Director, Culture Liverpool; Louise Brennan, Regional Director - Midlands, Historic England; Naila Yousuf, Partner, Wright & Wright Architects; Georgia Katsaouni, Associate Director, SPPARC - see below for full profiles.

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The overall criteria for the awards judging were whether the projects showed real vision in their concept and design and additionally but not least, sustainability in how they would be delivered and how they would add to their host cities.

Judges’ thoughts and marks were recorded by Future Cities Forum on 10th December 2021.

Master Planning

The judges were looking at the sustainability of the master plans, outstanding design and integration with the wider city.

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The winner is Coventry City Centre South Chapman Taylor for Shearer Property Regen Ltd.

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Outline Planning Approval was granted for the City Centre South scheme in April 2021.

The scheme, which has already secured £98m in funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority, is located in the southern part of the city centre and is made up of 6.4 hectares / 15 acres (the equivalent of nine football pitches), including Bull Yard, Shelton Square, Market Way, City Arcade.

The developer, Shearer Property Group, aims to deliver new homes, a hotel, cinema, retail and restaurants along with co-working and community spaces. These proposals will create a new focal point for all of Coventry’s communities to come together, as well as drawing in visitors, with inviting new public realm and accessible events space at its heart.

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Find out more about the scheme.

Chapman Taylor | City Centre South

 

Judges’ comments on Coventry City Centre South:

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'This is a real step-change for Coventry's city centre' - Claire McColgan, Culture Liverpool

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'The Coventry master-plan is timely and needed, and comes with a sensitivity for the environment' - Pip Simpson, V&A Museum

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The runners up are:

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Hammersmith Town Hall re-modelling and civic campus master plan: RSHP for London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham

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What role can the town hall play for the community and for business today? The Grade II listed Hammersmith Town Hall which was built in 1938 but was then hidden behind a five-storey extension in the 1970s is undergoing a transformation based on what local people want to see.

The new Civic Campus, which replaces the existing Hammersmith and Fulham Town Hall extension and adjacent large cinema site, is located at the West of King Street in Hammersmith's town centre. RSHP describes the scheme as 'ruthlessly inclusive' and 'zero harm' stating that it will breathe new life into the King Street area and reinvent the concept of the Town Hall to make it exciting and relevant for the people it serves.

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The re-design of city centres post Covid-19 (futurecitiesforum.london)

Civic Campus set to rejuvenate Hammersmith | LBHF

Hammersmith & Fulham Civic Campus – Civic – Projects – Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners | RSHP (rsh-p.com)

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Chrisp Street, London E14 master-plan Sheppard Robson for Poplar Harca and Telford Homes

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Sheppard Robson’s designs create a new community-focused, mixed-use project that will reinvigorate Chrisp Street Market. The plans for Telford Homes Plc and local housing association Poplar HARCA will ensure this community asset continues to thrive, with the design carefully drawing together a mix of residential, retail and cultural facilities positioned around improved and enlarged public spaces.

The project is due to complete in 2022.

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Chrisp Street (Masterplanning), E14 - Architecture - Sheppard Robson

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Science Cities and campus development

The judges were looking for bold vision, integration with communities and what the projects add to their host cities.

 

Winner: 

Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire and Natural History Museum

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The Natural History Museum announced recently:

‘A planetary emergency demands an unprecedented response. Our new science and digitisation centre at Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire will be a gateway to the natural world, widening access to vital information to deliver innovative solutions to global challenges.

‘With over 80 million objects spanning planetary to microscopic scales, billions of years to fractions of a second, genes to ecosystems and microminerals to mountain ranges, the Museum's collection is a powerful scientific tool.

‘By 2026 we will move over 27 million specimens and over 600m3 of accompanying Library material to a ground-breaking new centre for the study of natural history at Harwell Campus. We will work with partners to harness novel technologies and analysis techniques to gain new insights into the natural world and supercharge digitisation of the collections.

The Natural History Museum at Harwell | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)

 

Judges’ comments on the winning project included:

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'The Natural History Museum arrival at Harwell is significant because of the contribution to the ecological side of the climate change debate which sometimes gets overlooked in our Net Zero discussions,' Georgia Katsaouni, SPPARC

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'In terms of vision and sustainability, Harwell Campus and the Natural History Museum, is a natural winner', Louise Brennan, Historic England.

 

The runners up were:

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Birmingham Health Innovation Campus - University of Birmingham and Bruntwood SciTech

 

The University of Birmingham and Bruntwood SciTech are partnering to deliver Birmingham Health Innovation Campus (BHIC) - a world-leading health technologies campus, which will be the only science park in the West Midlands dedicated to health and life science innovation and technologies.

BHIC will support a thriving community of world-leading businesses, working in close collaboration with clinical and academic experts to develop integrated, data-enabled and patient-centric health innovations. In the first 10 years, it is estimated BHIC will create up to 10,000 new jobs in the wider economy and boost the local economy by around £400m per year.

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The proposals | Birmingham Health Innovation Campus (bhicconsultation.co.uk)

 

Shinfield Cine Valley Proposal - University of Reading, Scott Brownrigg, Wokingham Council

 

The new purpose-built TV studio located at the Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield was unanimously approved by Wokingham Borough Council on behalf of the University of Reading in 2021. It follows the University's announcement in December 2020 of a deal with a US film studios investor to develop a major film studio.

Scott Brownrigg has been tasked with envisioning the masterplan and architecture of this new complex. With the University's vision to create a new 'Cine Valley'. the development forms part of Thames Valley Science Park, with the TV studio element aiming to be operational in 2022.

The University will continue to engage with the local community before the opening of the studios, encouraging involvement from local businesses and residents. Construction is likely to begin late 2021, with a view to the studio being open by the end of 2022.

 

 Home | Shinfield Studios (shinfieldstudiosplanning.com)

https://www.futurecitiesforum.london/single-post/scott-brownrigg-talks-to-future-cities-forum-about-new-tv-studio-for-thames-valley-science-park

Housing

In our housing category, the judges looked for ‘creating a sense of place’ with community facilities, and a joined-up planning approach to housing, infrastructure and jobs.

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The Building Beautiful Commission has tried to establish standards for pleasant places for people to live in, away from the poorly managed 1960s tower block that brought much isolation and mental illness while splintering communities. Are we achieving residential communities that are social, well-connected to jobs and for travel to cultural or sporting activities, with local shops, workspaces, and parks? Are they designed properly for key workers, on whom we have depended so much during the pandemic?

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The winning project is:

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McGrath Road, Newnham, East London                 Peter Barber Architects

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This project is twenty- six townhouses, designed for the London Borough of Newham, all for shared ownership. The design combines the core elements of a traditional London terrace and European courtyard, which brings the residents together. Peter Barber wrote:

‘Each house has a deeply recesses arcaded frontage which is a place where people might choose to sit out at the street edge…a kind of level access stoop!  The houses are laid out in terraces around a new tree lined square and along two new streets which meet at a pretty, curving corner.’

McGrath Road — Peter Barber Architects

BACK TO BACK TO BACK — Peter Barber Architects

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Judges comments:

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'Peter Barber's design is fortress-like with a fine grain', Annelie Kvick Thompson, Grimshaw

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'This is a clever way of interpreting the back to back model of housing,' Marcelina Zielinska, Chapman Taylor

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'This is such a thoughtful response to low cost housing with a new take on a historic typology', Sadie Morgan, dRMM

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'The quality of materials and the detailing is reminiscent of small Venetian squares,' Lousie Brennan, Historic England

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'This felt quite Moroccan and I love the courtyard design,' Claire McColgan, Culture Liverpool

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The runners up were:

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Eddington – build-to-rent            Jo Cowen Architects for Apache (Present Made) and the University of Cambridge

 

Jo Cowen Architects has recently been appointed to develop a £160 million project of build to rent housing at Eddington in North West Cambridge, funded by Apache Capital's Present Made platform on the Cambridge University owned development. There will be a mix of flats and family homes - some 400 in total - with sustainability at the core of the design. The vision is to create a place offering a high-quality life to enhance both the City and the University of Cambridge. The use of resources aims to minimise carbon emissions and pollution to help the environment now and in the future.

Eddington - Jo Cowen Architects

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Church Grove, Ladywell

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RUSS (Rural Urban Synthesis Society) with Lewisham Council and Shepheard Epstein Hunter

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Church Grove will provide 36 new sustainable, customised, high-quality homes that are permanently affordable and partly self-built in order to reduce construction costs. It will also provide opportunities for training in construction for self-builders as well as apprentices and volunteers from the wider community. The project will contain a range of maisonettes and flats of different tenures, sizes and levels of self-build in order to create a truly mixed community made up of people from diverse backgrounds in the local area.


RUSS (https://www.theruss.org/) – a volunteer led community land trust - successfully completed a public procurement process and signed a Development Agreement with Lewisham Council for a ‘community-led, affordable, self-build housing development’ on a former derelict school and industrial site at Church Grove. The Church Grove project, designed as a PassivHaus scheme, was granted planning permission by Lewisham Council in 2018.

Church Grove / Shepheard Epstein Hunter / SEH / Architecture, Planning, Landscape

Infrastructure

The judges were asked to consider whether each infrastructure project was meeting design ideals, embodied ‘sustainability’ and acted as ‘a piece of the city’?

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WINNER

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The South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC) deployment project / Costain with partners

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The South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC) deployment project, led by Costain, has been granted phase two funding of nearly £20m following successful completion of Phase One assessments looking at decarbonisation schemes and the infrastructure required for a hydrogen economy in South Wales.

Phase Two of the project involves engineering studies to explore the routes to decarbonisation, including the use and production of a hydrogen supply, carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) and CO2 shipping from South Wales which would be the first CO2 shipping industry in the whole of the UK, and would create an entire new industry for the region.

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The project is supported by a range of partner organisations from the industrial, academic, law, public and private sectors working across the region to create the world’s first net zero emissions industrial zone. As well as contributing to the UK’s carbon reduction commitment, the project will enhance the UK’s ability to locally manufacture low or net zero carbon cement and steel products, helping to drive the low carbon future of UK construction and other sectors.

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Next phase of project to decarbonise industry in South Wales receives funding | Costain

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Judges comments:

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'I like the ambition of the South Wales Industrial Cluster - as a country we need to innovate really quickly in this space,' Sadie Morgan, National Infrastructure Commission

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'SWIC is a big plan and ambitious, even if it achieves just 10 per cent of its goals, it will be good,' Naila Yousuf, Wright&Wright Architects

 

The runners up were:
 

Waverley Station redevelopment, Edinburgh – Grimshaw / Arup / Allan Murray Architects for Network Rail, Transport Scotland, and Edinburgh City Council

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Network Rail’s plans to develop and improve Waverley Station have reached an important stage of the process, with a masterplan concept chosen. The work to date has been undertaken collaboratively with Transport Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council and selected following an extensive consultation process.

As a vibrant commuter station and a hub for tourists from across Britain, footfall at Edinburgh Waverley has more than doubled within the last ten years from 10 million to over 24 million, and estimates suggest that it will more than double again to over 49 million by 2048.

 

Waverley Masterplan  | Scotland's Railway (scotlandsrailway.com)

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'Hour-Glass Bridge' (spanning the M8) - joining Sighthill to Glasgow’s centre          BAM Nuttall and Jacobs for Glasgow City Council

 

Master-planners Stallan-Brand have written:

 

‘As the largest of Glasgow's eight Transformational Regeneration Areas, regeneration of Sighthill is a powerful opportunity not only to change the perception of Sighthill to make it a welcoming and vital part of the city but to help unlock the redevelopment potential of other areas to the north.’

The bridge connecting the Sighthill development to the city centre to the south over the six lanes of the M8 is therefore vital in ensuring the regenerated district is not isolated.

 

The new cyclist and pedestrian bridge will reconnect the north of Glasgow to the nearby city centre as part of a £250 million regeneration of the area. The UK and Scottish funded scheme, the largest of its kind in the UK, outside of London, will offer affordable housing within walking distance of Glasgow’s most popular destinations. When complete, the new neighbourhood will feature 800 new homes, a new school campus, a park and vastly improved public spaces, shops and businesses.

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New iconic footbridge structure moved into place by BAM Nuttall over the weekend

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Culture

The judges were asked to consider the competing visions to open out cultural assets to wider communities while modernising and adapting heritage in a sensitive fashion.

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The winner in the 'Cultural Cities' category is:

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National Museums Liverpool     NML Waterfront Transformation Project / winning team selected to take the project forward (Asif Khan Studio, Sir David Adjaye OBE, Mariam Kamara and artist Theaster Gates)

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NML has stated recently:

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‘The Waterfront Transformation Project will link storytelling, heritage, community, connectivity, and commercial income to create a cohesive visitor experience and catalyst for social and environmental improvements in the area.

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‘We want to re-engage local communities and empower individuals to bring this significant and incredibly rich part of the waterfront back to life. Our landmark project will be transforming the area between the Royal Albert Dock and Mann Island, as well as revitalising all our waterfront facilities, as part of a 10-year masterplan of reimagining Liverpool’s waterfront.

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Waterfront Transformation Project | National Museums Liverpool (liverpoolmuseums.org.uk)

Waterfront Transformation Project: Blockbuster team announced as winning team for Canning Dock competition press release | National Museums Liverpool (liverpoolmuseums.org.uk)

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Judges comments:

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'The scale of ambition lifts this project,' Annelie Kvick Thompson, Grimshaw

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'This project has real integrity,' Pip Simpson, V&A

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The runners up are:

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Blackpool Museum Project

 

Blackpool's new museum which is dedicated to showcasing the legacy of popular entertainment in the town was due to open this year but has been delayed because of the pandemic until 2022. It is planned as an immersive experience that captures the spirit of the town with tributes to the entertainers who put Blackpool on the map and turned a seaside resort into a capital of show business.

Differing views of producers, performers, visitors and residents will be included and will feature the first permanent displays in a UK public museum on circus, magic, variety and ballroom dance - filled with 800 plus objects from Blackpool's internationally significant and extensive collections, with those on loan from national partners, including the V&A.

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Blackpool Council was allocated £4 million in 2019 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the development of the Blackpool Museum Project. The £13 million project has already secured more than £7 million in external funding.

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Cultural Cities - the recovery? (futurecitiesforum.london)

Blackpool set for new museum and mixed leisure attraction (futurecitiesforum.london)

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Lambeth Palace Library                 Wright and Wright Architects for the Church Commissioners

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A significant new addition to London's civic architecture, Lambeth Palace Library is the first new building on the site for 185 years and hosts the Church of England's archive, the most important collection of religious books, manuscripts, and archives in Europe, after the Vatican.

In the new building the historic collections of Lambeth Palace Library - founded in 1610 and one of the earliest public libraries in the UK - and the records of the Church of England will be brought together, replacing inadequate facilities in a warehouse in Bermondsey, that risked the future of the collection.

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The Building – Lambeth Palace Library

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Net Zero

The judges were asked to consider the design impact of these projects on their environments, whether they were important landmarks for the city, represented energy planning innovation and included community outreach.

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Cities are working hard to manage and drive down carbon emissions. How sensitive are the designs of both re-designed and new buildings to their environment and how are projects being designed to reach out and provide sustainable energy education for the local community? How inventive are the projects in concept and do they include job creation in their brief?

 

The winner of the 'Net Zero' category is:

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MUNCH               Munch Museum, Oslo                   Estudio Herreros

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The foundations for the new museum building were laid in 2016, the museum leaders say, after much debate about both design and location. The design is based on the idea of a tower-shaped museum. Sixty meters in height with a leaning top section, it is clad in recycled, perforated aluminium panels of varying degrees of translucency and is a highly visible landmark on all sides.

The museum reports that the architects hope that the building will establish strong links between the regeneration of the surrounding urban area and Edvard Munch's art.

It has been built using low-carbon concrete and recycled steel, and its loadbearing structure has been designed with a technical lifetime of 200 years. In addition, the building complies with Passiv Building standards. The wavy aluminium panels screen sunlight effectively, and also reflect sunlight to avoid excessive temperature fluctuations. The building is connected to a district-heating system and also to a seawater cooling plant. The location is very close to the city's largest public transport hub and the 100 cycle-parking spaces at Edvard Munchs Plass.

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This is MUNCH - Munchmuseet

FutureBuilt

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Judges comments included:

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The new MUNCH museum is an amazing project and hugely significant,'  - Pip Simpson, V&A

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''Oslo is the stand-out project in the sustainability category,' Louise Brennan, Historic England

 

The runners up are:
 

Morley House, Regent Street London regeneration: The Crown Estate, MSMR Architects and Kier Group

Kier | Morley House

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Jenna Bates, Carbon Manager at Kier Group commented at a Future Cities Forum on ‘sustainability and cities’ in September: “Our client, the Crown Estate wanted to re-develop Morley House built in 1924 on Regent Street in London, keeping the façade and increasing the sustainability of this famous retail store. We put up a green wall - hanging on scaffolding - which increased biodiversity and minimized sound. All these measures create an effect on preserving the environment even if they are small.”

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The Grade II listed façade of Morley House was retained while delivering a new core to the building, improving energy efficiency, and achieving a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating. The new development provides 1,021 square metres of high-quality retail space on ground and basement levels, as well as 44 new homes for market rent which will go on sale later this year.

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The project has consisted of demolition behind a complex facade retention system, removing and storing the existing stonework facade and shopfronts for reuse.

 

The Building | Morley House

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Ham Yard Hotel, Soho, London                  Firmdale Hotels and Woods Bagot

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Firmdale’s Ham Yard Hotel has been awarded the BREEAM excellent rating, despite being located within the confines of Soho’s Victorian alleys and narrow Georgian streets.

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www.weartlondon.com writes:

‘Opened in 2014 the hotel uses solar panels to generate electricity and has a green roof-top complete with beehives and a vegetable garden. The interiors are designed with the environment in mind, with laundry bags of recycled plastic, bamboo toothbrushes and coat hangers from reclaimed wood.

‘The hotel is tucked behind a tree-filled court-yard where guests can take refuge from the bustling city. This urban village even includes its own bowling alley, theatre, library and rooftop bar.’

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Energy, water and waste – as well as land use are all addressed in the BREEAM case study

ham-yard-breeam_man-9-case-study.pdf (firmdalehotels.com)

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High Streets

The judges were asked to consider the use of heritage to improve the high street from economic and aesthetic perspectives, the re-purposing of the department store and how universities have supported investment in retail provision and better connections with their host cities.

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Winner

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Wigan – King Street: High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ)       

Wigan Council with Historic England

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King Street sits towards the southern part of the conservation area and is one of the main streets in Wigan town centre, close to the Market Place and between the rail stations and the civic hub. It’s traditionally been a focal point for entertainment and commercial uses rather than retail.

In recent times, its character has shifted to focus almost exclusively on late-night bars and nightclubs, and it’s now in a cycle of decline. There are very high vacancy rates, the quality of the streetscape is poor and fractured, and the historic fabric is under threat.

By reusing and reviving beautiful historic buildings such as the Grade II listed Royal Court Theatre, Wigan Council plan to work with partners like Arts in the Mill CIC to engage locals and visitors in a rich array of cultural activity and restore King Street to the heart of Wigan’s leisure economy.

The council’s aim, using the £13m of government funding delivered through Historic England, is that by 2024, King Street will be celebrated as the go-to place for residents and visitors to engage in cultural and leisure activities.

This aligns well with its Cultural Manifesto, The Fire Within (external  which aims to tackle the town’s low cultural participation.

High Street Heritage Action Zone - King Street (wigan.gov.uk)

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Judges comments included:

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'Wigan King Street is important because it is about using the arts to regenerate a dying high street, using brilliant story-telling,' Claire McColgan, Culture Liverpool

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'Gandalf likes Wigan! Ian McKellen has put his support behind this project as he performed at the Royal Court, Wigan early in his career, this is about using culture and the night-time economy to take over from the reliance on retail in our historic high streets,' -  Lousie Brennan, Historic England

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(Lousie was not allowed to vote as Historic England as an interest in the project, but was allowed to make a remark post voting.

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The runners up are:

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Agora, Wolverton            TOWN and Milton Keynes Council with architects Mikhail Riches / Mole Architects

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Long-awaited redevelopment of the Agora Centre in Wolverton will start before the end of the 2021 after Milton Keynes Council’s planning committee resolved to grant permission for TOWN’s pioneering regeneration plans. The Love Wolverton project will deliver 115 low-carbon homes, new independent shops, extensive public realm and green infrastructure and a renewable energy microgrid in the heart of Milton Keynes’s original railway town.

Planning approval comes shortly after the Council’s decision in July to invest over £36 million to acquire the vacant Agora Centre and fund delivery of the award-winning Love Wolverton project, and means that work to demolish the unloved 1970s shopping centre can finally begin before the end of 2021.

 

TOWN - Love Wolverton planning application approved (wearetown.co.uk)

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Woolwich Exchange       Purcell and Panter Hudspith for St. Modwen / Notting Hill Genesis Housing

 

Land between Plumstead Road and Spray Street in Woolwich town centre was first identified for regeneration by the Royal Borough of Greenwich in 2012, with St. Modwen and Notting Hill Genesis chosen as a joint venture partnership to deliver the site in 2014. 

An initial planning application for the redevelopment was submitted to the council in January 2018.  Shortly afterwards, the Former Covered Market, which forms part of the site, was given Grade II listed status. The council also introduced the Woolwich Conservation Area, which includes some buildings that form part of the site on Woolwich New Road.  

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As a result, the original proposals for the site could no longer be delivered, so the Woolwich Exchange design team reviewed the plans to see how the Former Covered Market could be retained and reused, as well as elements of the buildings on Woolwich New Road.

In February 2020 we launched a consultation on our revised plans and received lots of positive feedback from the local community.  Following this consultation period, the Woolwich Exchange team submitted its new plans as a second planning application to the Royal Borough of Greenwich in October 2020.  In May 2021, the council voted to approve the plans.

You can see further information about the submitted plans for Woolwich Exchange here.

 

Woolwich Exchange

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Future Cities Forum would like to congratulate all winners and runners-up in our Winter 2021 built environment awards and for the commitment of the high-level and experienced team of judges for their time and thoughts. Please see the judges' profiles below.

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We are now preparing for our Summer 2022 built environment awards which will be judged in May 2022.

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SADIE MORGAN

Founding Director, dRMM

Sadie Morgan is a founding director of Stirling Prize winning architecture practice dRMM, alongside Alex de Rijke and Philip Marsh. As a design champion Sadie undertakes advisory roles including chairing the Independent Design Panel for High Speed Two and as a commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC). She has been instrumental in setting up the NIC’s Design Group which places design at the heart of major infrastructure projects.


 

In 2019, Sadie was appointed as a board member of the UK government’s housing accelerator – Homes England. She recently founded the Quality of Life Foundation – an independent body aimed at raising wellbeing through improvement of the built environment. Sadie lectures internationally on dRMM and the importance of infrastructure. In 2013 she became the youngest president of the Architectural Association. In 2016 she received an honorary doctorate from London South Bank University and was appointed professor at the University of Westminster. In 2021, Sadie was awarded the visiting Sir Arthur Marshall Professorship in Sustainable Urban Design at Jesus College, Cambridge University. In 2017, Sadie became a Mayor’s design advocate for the Greater London Authority. In the New Year’s Honours 2020 she was awarded an OBE for services to design advocacy in the built environment.

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DR. PIP SIMPSON

Director of  Design, Estate, FuturePlan - V&A Museum

Dr Philippa Simpson took up her post at the V&A in December 2018 and leads the Design Studio, the Estate including all Capital Projects, and the Public Programme including exhibitions. She studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art and the University of Edinburgh, where she gained her BA Hons and MSc Res in History of Art.

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Having worked for a short time in the commercial art sector, she moved into museums as a curator at Tate, working on a range of international exhibitions and gallery projects while completing her PhD at the Courtauld on display culture and the genesis of the public gallery. She then moved to Royal Museums Greenwich to establish and manage an international touring exhibition programme. In 2014 Philippa joined the V&A to deliver a number of capital projects, including the Exhibition Road Quarter.

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CLAIRE McCOLGAN

Director, Culture Liverpool

Director of Culture Liverpool, responsible for Legacy, Major EventsLiverpool Film OfficeCruise LiverpoolTourismCity Halls and Cultural Policy since 2009.

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Claire spearheads multi award-winning events of national and international acclaim including the unique Royal de Luxe Giant Spectaculars with combined audience of 1.8m, (Visit England’s Tourism Event of the Year 2016) and Three QueensOne Magnificent City, which attracted 1million visitors to the shores of the Mersey. 

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A champion of public engagement in arts and culture, in 2000 Claire developed the successful participation programme (Creative Communities) that was instrumental in Liverpool’s transformative Capital of Culture bid.  In 2006 she was appointed Executive Producer of European Capital of Culture with responsibility for major events, public participation and community engagement.

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Claire is a national and international advisor on best practice in Culture acting for Arts Council England and Ireland, the British CouncilLocal Government Association and as consultant advisor to the London Borough of Culture programme. 

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GEORGIA KATSAOUNI

Associate Director, SPPARC

Georgia Katsaouni joined SPPARC as a qualified Architect Engineer in 2014 and since then she had been involved in numerous projects from conceptual planning to construction, most notably on Kensington Church Street, an award-winning mixed-use scheme in London, the Bear Gardens boutique hotel located within the cultural quarter of the Southwark’s Bankside conservation area and office buildings in London and Reading. Georgia was appointed Associate Director in 2017 and is currently working on the London Olympia masterplan, a large-scale project that will transform the current exhibition centre to a unique cultural hub, in collaboration with Heatherwick Studio. Georgia studied Engineering and Architectural Design at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece receiving her MEng in 2010. She attended Architectural Association (AA) where she received an MSc in Sustainable Environmental design in 2011.

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LUCINDA TURNER

Director of Spatial Planning, Transport for London

Director of Spatial Planning, Transport for London, Lucinda Turner is
responsible for TfL's role in planning applications across London. 
Lucinda joined TfL as Policy Manager for Congestion Charging, leading
policy development and stakeholder management for the scheme. She moved into TfL Planning developing Crossrail S106/CIL funding policy, leading consultation for the Mayor's Transport Strategy, becoming environmental champion for TfL and helping develop the Mayor's Air Quality Strategy.


She became Secretariat to the Mayor's Road Task Force establishing a
strategic framework for the management, design and development of London's streets and road network. She was responsible for helping to
establish TfL's Growth Fund - focused on helping unlock housing and
development.

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NAILA YOUSUF

Partner, Wright & Wright Architects

Since joining Wright & Wright Architects in 2015, Naila Yousuf has worked on high profile, cultural projects, with a focus on resolving complex planning applications on sensitive sites. In this capacity she led the team on the recently completed redevelopment of the Museum of the Home, a much loved East London institution documenting the universal theme of 'home'. Naila also led the team on the planning application for Lambeth Palace Library, created to house the Archive of the Church of England. Prior to this, Naila worked at CZWG where she was mentored by Piers Gough and Rex Wilkinson and worked on a range of housing and civic projects. She had graduated from the University of Nottingham where she was awarded the Halsal Lloyd Prize for Best Design Portfolio and Car Prize for Excellence in Architectural Research.

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ANNELIE KVICK THOMPSON

Partner - Grimshaw

Annelie is a highly skilled architect, who thrives on working collaboratively with clients, stakeholders and design teams to establish project visions, key principles, and methodologies to achieve world-class innovative solutions.

 

She is currently the Partner leading a number of Grimshaw's largest transport-focused and urban redevelopment projects, including the master plan for Euston's 54 ha station site, Metro North project in Dublin, and has an on-going role as design reviewer the two new HS2 stations at Manchester Piccadilly and Airport.

 

As a key member of Grimshaw's Partnership, she regularly attends, organises and speaks at industry events contributing to thought leadership and planning strategy as well as sharing her knowledge through academic lectures, tutoring and design reviews.

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LOUISE BRENNAN

Regional Director - Midlands, Historic England

Regional Director - Midlands, Louise Brennan heads up Historic England's successful Heritage Action Zone programme for the regeneration of the UK's high streets and heritage streetscapes, which has included funding and interventions in Coventry, King's Lynn, Dewsbury, Northallerton, Kirklees, Sunderland, Swindon and Walworth in London. Louise has been with Historic England for 22 years and is based near Derby. Louise commented at a recent Future Cities Forum:


 

'The vast majority of the historic environment is adaptable and the High Street needs to learn to wash its face. The High Street (across the UK) needs new uses and it needs to diversify with more than just shopping. We need use our historic buildings and not be precious. The historic environment of the high street is egalitarian, you don't have to pay an entrance fee to enjoy it, it is for everyone.'

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MARCELINA ZIELINSKA

Director, Chapman Taylor

Director, Chapman Taylor, Marcelina Zielinkska, joined the firm in 2007
and was promoted to Director in 2017. Having worked initially on the
successful delivery of St, David's 2 in Cardiff, she then moved to the
UK concept design team to focus on the early design stages of major
projects. She has a love for urban environments and a keen interest in
the master planning and design of complex mixed-use developments as
catalysts for urban regeneration. There will be awards given in the
areas of master planning, net zero and sustainability, housing,
infrastructure, science buildings, high streets and cultural assets.

SUMMER AWARDS 2021

Future Cities Forum is releasing the names of our award winners and runners-up in our Summer Awards 2021.


The awards have been given across seven categories of the built environment and the details can be accessed on our Blog page. 

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Please see our judges below. We are extremely grateful for their commitment in taking part in our Summer 2021 Awards

 

 

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Future Cities Forum summer awards 2021

Our awards winners were picked out of a selection of three separate projects across seven categories: master planning, science buildings and R&D campus design, new housing projects, infrastructure / infrastructure-related development, cultural buildings, Net Zero planning and energy, and Future High Streets set by Future Cities Forum. Some project inclusions are finished while others are at the planning stage.

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Our judges were:

Eleanor Kelly  Chief Executive, London Borough of Southwark; Kim Wright  Chief Executive, London Borough of Lewisham; Leonie Bell Director of the V&A Dundee; Annelie Kvick-Thompson Partner, Grimshaw; Eftychia Koursari Senior Civil Engineer in Amey Consulting's Structures Team; Cora Kwiatkowski Divisional Director, Stride Treglown; Joanne Cave Partner, David Lock Associates / Co-Chair of the Oxford Design Review Panel; Marcelina Zielinkska Director, Chapman Taylor; and Lucinda Turner Head of Spatial Planning, Transport for London and Associate Director of Built Environment, Greater London Authority - see below for full profiles.

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The overall criteria for the awards judging were whether the projects showed real vision in their concept and design and additionally but not least, sustainability in how they would be delivered and how they would add to their host cities.

Judges’ thoughts and marks were recorded by Future Cities Forum on 26th May 2021.

Master Planning

The judges were looking at the sustainability of the master plans, outstanding design and the strength of biodiversity.

 

Winner ‘Living in the Landscape’ by LDA Design for Peabody

In the master planning category, the ‘Living in the Landscape’ master plan (by LDA Design) for Peabody’s £1 billion regeneration of the 1960s Thamesmead district in the London boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley by LDA Design was the overall winner.

Launching Living in the Landscape - Connecting people and place through landscape | LDA Design (lda-design.co.uk)

 

Runners-up

Bracknell Town Centre Vision 2032 (by Cushman & Wakefield and Allies & Morrison for Bracknell Forest Council) Bracknell Town Centre 2032 vision (bracknell-forest.gov.uk)

Oxford North (the new living and employment district being created by Thomas White Oxford’s extensive team on land owned by St John’s College Oxford)  The project | Oxford’s new life sciences district (oxfordnorth.com) approved by Oxford City Council’s planning committee in December 2020.

 

Judges’ comments on ‘Living in the Landscape’:

 

Kim Wright, Chief Executive of Lewisham Council, praised ‘the sheer scale and impact of the project’, saying she admired ‘the connected nature of the design.’

While Annelie Kvick, Partner at Grimshaw felt that it is a ‘really ambitious project and sets out a clear vision…. It is important to reclaim nature and the waterfront as Thamesmead is a forgotten pocket of London.’

Leonie Bell, Director of V&A Dundee said that ‘in Scotland there is an understanding of what Peabody is trying to achieve and I admire the ‘Living in the Landscape’ idea.’

Lucinda Turner, Head of Spatial Planning at TfL felt that it was ‘important to make nature and biodiversity a focus of infrastructure, and as important as traditional infrastructure.’

Science Cities

The judges were looking for innovative design, integration with communities and what the projects add to their host cities.

 

Winner: AstraZeneca’s new global R&D centre, Cambridge UK (BDP / Herzog & de Meuron)

 In our Science Cities category, the overall winner was AstraZeneca’s new £500 million global R&D centre and headquarters building on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. This project is central to bringing together AstraZeneca’s 2,000 employees who are currently spread across eight sites around Cambridge. BDP is the lead consultant and executive architect carrying out the vision of concept architect Herzog & de Meuron.

AstraZeneca Headquarters - BDP.com

430 ASTRAZENECA - HERZOG & DE MEURON (herzogdemeuron.com)

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Runners up

The new CABI offices in Wallingford with sweeping green roofs by architects Scott Brownrigg and Ridge and Partners LLP as project managers,  https://www.scottbrownrigg.com/work/projects/cabi-headquarters/

Warwick University’s £30 million IBRB biomedical research building – designed by HawkinsBrown Architects and built by Wilmott Dixon - which includes the Wolfson Tissue Mechanobiology and Human Disease Laboratory,  University of Warwick Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building | Willmott Dixon

 

Judges’ comments on the winning project included:

Effie Koursari of Amey Consulting remarked: ‘The use of the heat pump – by AstraZeneca – is important as heating is a great producer of carbon.’

Marcelina Zielinska of Chapman Taylor added: ‘There is so much investment in this project…I very much appreciate the efforts they have made with their videos. It is very important how you communicate a project’s benefits.’

Housing

In our housing category, the judges looked for ‘creating a sense of place’ with community facilities, and a joined-up planning approach to housing, infrastructure and jobs.

 

Winner : Steenberg’s Yard, Lower Ouseburn Valley (PfP Igloo / Xsite Architecture)

In the Housing category, the overall winner was Lower Ouseburn Valley – Steenberg’s Yard, Newcastle-upon-Tyne designed by Xsite Architecture with engineering by Cundall for igloo Regeneration, with project management by Identity Consult.

igloo Regeneration | Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle

Lower Steenberg’s Yard - Cundall

 

Runners-up

Eddington, North West Cambridge - Ryle Yard (Key worker housing by Macreanor Lavington within AECOM’s phased master-plan for Cambridge University Estates) Ryle Yard Eddington - Maccreanor Lavington

Purfleet on Thames – a transformational development within the Thames Gateway with 2,800 new homes, retail and healthcare next to 1 million square feet of film and production studios (AHMM and dRMM architects for Swan Housing / Urban Catalyst with Thurrock Council) Purfleet Centre Regeneration (urbancatalyst.co.uk)

 

In our Housing category, the judges were struck by the Newcastle project’s residential quality, connected jobs and transport. They liked the phased approach of the wider masterplan and solid building blocks from which connectedness would grow. They also liked how the fund was managed by the community up. They thought there was appropriate scale and that the development had made the most of the Ouseburn waterfront.

Annelie Kvick of Grimshaw praised ‘the research that had been carried out and how many people had been spoken to, the richness of the scheme and diversity.’

Leonie Bell of V&A Dundee liked ‘the potential of the development to keep growing. Longevity is just priceless.’

Infrastructure

The judges were asked to consider whether each infrastructure project was meeting design ideals, embodied ‘sustainability’ and acted as ‘a piece of the city’?

 

Winner: A14 Improvements Scheme by Skanska / Costain / Balfour Beatty JV for Highways England

This road upgrade scheme in Cambridgeshire included the planting of 900,000 trees, new water vole habitats and the discovery of three Anglo-Saxon villages by the team of archaeologists from MOLA Headland. It set new standards in digital innovation and biodiversity planning for a transport project.

A14 Improvement Scheme | www.skanska.co.uk

New environment report highlights positive impact of the A14, a Costain, Skanska and Balfour Beatty joint venture project | Costain

 

Runners-up

Farringdon Station. Crossrail Farringdon station - Crossrail

CB1 Station District development, Cambridge CB1 (bidwells.co.uk) CB1 - Brookgate

 

There was much praise for the biodiversity and focus on nature as a mitigating factor on road impact from TfL’s Lucinda Turner.

Effie Koursari of Amey Consulting also noted ‘the biodiversity and bat boxes as examples of good planning.’

The judges welcomed the fast delivery of the road project and how sustainability will continue to improve over time as electric cars come in.

Culture

The judges were asked to consider the competing visions to open out cultural assets to wider communities while modernising and adapting heritage in a sensitive fashion.

 

Winner: Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums (Hoskins Architects for Aberdeen City Council)

The winning project involved the creation of a copper-clad rooftop extension providing unrivalled views across the city, new teaching and learning spaces and temperature controlled temporary galleries that will allow Aberdeen to host world class touring exhibitions.

Aberdeen Art Gallery | Hoskins Architects

 

Runners-up:

The Box, Plymouth (SNC-Lavalin Atkins for Plymouth City Council The Box – SNC-Lavalin (snclavalin.com) 

EMD Cinema in Walthamstow (Pilbrow & Partners for Soho Theatre Group / Waltham Forest Council) Walthamstow EMD Cinema → Pilbrow & Partners (pilbrowandpartners.com)

 

Leonie Bell, V&A Dundee, felt the Aberdeen Art Gallery was an ‘exercise in restraint’ and the use of light in the building was very effective. ‘It points up the austerity of the granite Victorian buildings and is the architects’ most sophisticated building.’

Annelie Kvick, Grimshaw, felt the Aberdeen Art Gallery was ‘a perfect example of how you can change and adapt old buildings.’

Joanne Cave, David Lock Associates, praised ‘the gracefulness of the gallery design’.

Lucinda Turner, TfL, felt the gallery was ‘restrained and sympathetic’.

Net Zero

The judges were asked to consider the design impact of these projects on their environments, whether they were important landmarks for the city, represented energy planning innovation and included community outreach.

 

Winner:  Manchester City Council’s Tower of Light / Civic Quarter Heat Network (Tonkin Liu / Vital Energi)

In our Net Zero category, Manchester’s Tower of Light and Civic Quarter Heat Network was the overall winner – with tower / flue and façade design by Tonkin Liu in collaboration with Arup, enclosing Vital Energi’s £20 million CHP centre for the City Council Tower of Light | Flue tower and facade in Manchester City Centre — tonkin liu Manchester Civic Quarter Network (vitalenergi.co.uk)

 

Runners-up

North London Heat and Power Project (Grimshaw for North London Waste Authority) North London Heat and Power Project – Projects – GRIMSHAW

Jubilee Pool Lido Penzance geo-thermal project (Geothermal Engineering Ltd)  Jubilee Pool – Geothermal Engineering Ltd

 

Kim Wright of Lewisham Council liked the Manchester project as it was ‘right in heart in city and this connected it with communities and businesses. The designers are not shy with the flue, and it is a lot more than an energy centre. It has social value and is helping local authorities to meet net zero.’

Annelie Kvick of Grimshaw commented that ‘that the challenge that needs to be tackled increasingly is how you integrate energy centres into the city – and make them into architecture.’

Eleanor Kelly, Chief Executive of Southwark Council thought ‘ it was challenging to bring it into heart of city, and this made it a positive feature of the city’.

High Streets

The judges were asked to consider the use of heritage to improve the high street from economic and aesthetic perspectives, the re-purposing of the department store and how universities have supported investment in retail provision and better connections with their host cities.

 

Winner The Burges, Coventry (Historic England / Historic Coventry Trust / Coventry City Council and architects Corstorphine + Wright). Historic England’s Heritage Action Zone programme has released funds for restoration and upgrading of one of the few remaining medieval / Victorian streetscapes in Coventry, including Hales Street and Palmer Lane, boosting the local economy and engaging directly and successfully with the community. The Burges, Coventry High Street Heritage Action Zone | Historic England

Burges restoration - June 2020 | Coventry City Council

Runners-up

Dept W, Whitechapel, London E1 (the repurposing for a modern high street and sensitive restoration of Wickham’s department store for Schroder UK Real Estate Fund by Buckley Gray Yeoman, now let in entirety through Allsop to Queen Mary University of London)

Dept W (bgy.co.uk)  Schroders lets 55,380 sq ft Department W in its entirety to Queen Mary University - Allsop

Northgate, Oxford (MICA Architects for Jesus College, Oxford University – re-design of Jesus College-owned Cornmarket facing shops on ground and first floors with college / student facilities and accommodation above, creation of new college quad and modern gatehouse opening to Market Street.

Northgate (micaarchitects.com)

 

Cora Kwiatkowski of Stride Treglown admired the Coventry project: ‘It has a lot of detail and on the local economy and is impressive in getting whole community behind it. The Burges is public space so a lot of people would benefit. It is about taking responsibility for the space. Best scheme.’

Kim Wright of Lewisham Council was struck by Historic England’s HAZ project: ‘This was about shops and conserving heritage and history, using abandoned upper floors and making a connected community.’

Leonie Bell of V&A Dundee remarked that ‘I like the way they (the Coventry teams) were analysing place and moving back to move forward.’

 

Future Cities Forum would like to congratulate all winners and runners-up in our Summer 2021 built environment awards and for the commitment of the high-level and experienced team of judges for their time and thoughts.

We are now preparing for our Winter 2021 built environment awards which will be judged in December.

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