09/01/2018 - Permalink

Shropshire’s best architecture and building conservation to be recognised

Related topics: Planning

Shropshire’s best architecture, urban design and building conservation will be recognised this week when the first-ever Shropshire Council Design and Conservation Awards are presented in an event at Shirehall in Shrewsbury on Friday 12 January (2018).

The awards were launched at the start of 2017 and aim to promote, encourage and recognise inclusive, sustainable and high quality developments across the county.

The redeveloped visitor facilities at Attingham Park, near Shrewsbury

The redeveloped visitor facilities at Attingham Park, near Shrewsbury (photo courtesy National Trust)

More than thirty schemes were submitted during the year and were assessed according to a range of criteria including design quality, context, craftsmanship and sustainability.

Judging took place in September and October 2017 in two phases, which included an internal assessment, followed by a design review with external judges Harriet Devlin and James Handley.

The schemes receiving recognition this week in the form of an award, commendation or special mention are:

  • Shrewsbury High School dining rooms and kitchen, by Baart Harries Newall architects
  • The Angel, Broad Street Ludlow, by James Wareham and Batch Valley Design
  • Greenspace, Whixall eco village conceptual masterplan, by Greenspace architects
  • Radbrook Village, by AHR architects
  • Attingham Park redeveloped visitor facilities, by BHB
  • Shrewsbury Cathedral access works, by Arrol and Snell Architects
  • The Buttercross, Ludlow, by P Belchere architect
  • Old Cottage, Burley, by Trevor Hewitt Architects
  • Myndtown Church, by Arrol and Snell Architects
  • Chatri Design Centre, Shrewsbury School, by Baart Harries Newall architects
  • Fort Pendlestone, Bridgnorth, by BASE architects
  • Leafy Nook, Oswestry, by K-E design

Ian Kilby, Shropshire Council’s planning services manager, said:

“These awards are the first in a series of initiatives to encourage and recognise sustainable and high quality design within developments which promote investment in the county’s environment, whilst protecting and enhancing the historic and natural features which make it distinctive.

“I congratulate all of our winners, and thank our judges for their time and support.”

Further information

About the external judges

Harriet Devlin currently runs a postgraduate course in Conservation of the Historic Environment at Birmingham City University and leads practical conservation courses on the understanding of traditional building materials such as lime, timber and brick.   Harriet lives in Shropshire and has been a passionate advocate of ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ and preventative maintenance for many years.  Harriet has long experience of fund raising for projects and was awarded an MBE in 2014 for her services to the Historic Environment.

James Handley is retired from general architectural practice and lives in Shrewsbury. He has worked extensively in the Middle East resident in Iran (75-79) and Bahrain (82-86). He joined the Shrewsbury office of AHR in 1979, serving as UK Chairman between 1999-2008 of the renamed practice, Aedas Architects, when he was responsible for the UK/Europe/Middle East operations.  He has been active within the Shrewsbury BID since its inception and currently sits on the Board, he is especially interested in design quality within the town and its future within the West Midlands community.