Civic Voice has announced the shortlist for the second annual Civic Voice Design Awards, with sixteen projects from across England highlighted.
Civic Voice writes:
Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement, has today announced the shortlist for the second annual Civic Voice Design Awards. 16 schemes from across England have been shortlisted by the expert Judging Panel for their positive impact on the local community and design quality.
The Civic Voice Design Awards give communities the opportunity to nominate and recognise new buildings, restoration and public realm projects in their local area. The Civic Voice Design Awards were introduced in 2013 following a vote by Civic Voice members to demonstrate that civic societies and other community groups will accept new development when it responds positively to the local area.
The judging panel includes: Max Farrell, Project Leader for the 2014 Farrell Review of Architecture and the Built Environment; Tracy Meller, Associate Partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners; Rob Cowan, Director of Urban Design Skills; Sophia de Sousa, Chief Executive of The Glass-House Community Led Design and; Russ Hamilton, Design Partner at Farrells.
The judges reached a unanimous decision on the shortlist for this year’s Design Awards, which includes New Build, Restoration and Public Realm projects. The judges felt that each project made a significant contribution to the quality of life in their communities.
The 2016 shortlist is:
New Buildings Category
- Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool
- The Discovery Centre, The Royal Latin School Buckingham
- Soho Multi-level Playground
- St Valentine’s Close, Winchester
- Westbury Village Hall Rebuild
Public Realm Category
- Eyesore to Artwork, Derbyshire
- The Hollywells Park Project, Ipswich
- Millers Field Sculptural Seat, Canterbury
- Road of Rememberance War Poppies, Kent
Restoration Category
- Briddlesford Lodge Farm Hop Kilns
- Chichester Festival Theatre
- The Master’s House, Herefordshire
- The Old Grammar School, Coventry
- Scenic Railway Dreamland, Margate
- The Watts Studio Restoration, Guildford
- Yarmouth Station, Isle of Wight
Griff Rhys Jones, president of Civic Voice, said ‘How exciting that the Civic Voice Design Awards are back again this year. I have seen a lot of restoration projects and programmes over the years, but the sheer variety, commitment and range of these projects astonished me last year. The winner was a knockout. I went down to have a look at it. But the other contenders were ambitious and uplifting. I can’t wait to see what this year’s awards bring up’.
Max Farrell, partner in Farrells, shared his enthusiasm saying ‘I’m thrilled to be chairing the Civic Voice Design Awards in its second year. It is great to hear the community stories behind the nominated projects and to see architecture and urban design having a tangible positive impact on the lives of people throughout the country’.
The awards ceremony, which will announce the winners of each category, will be held in the Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, London, SW1A on 24 May 2016 from 5.30pm.
See images of the shortlist
