Design Award: The First Year - Trust Annual Report 1985
The first year of a new project is often the most interesting. New ideas are tried out and the interest of the general public is put to the test. We all breathed a sigh of relief when, on closing date, entries for the Winchester Preservation Trust Awards numbered 25. We knew that we would probably have enough entries to enable us to make a selection of schemes of enough quality to launch the Award Scheme as a permanent annual accolade of good civic design.
We were not disappointed. Sir Hugh Casson, who chaired the selection panel thought the standard of entry very high and after a stimulating discussion an often difficult decision had to be made about each entry. Finally ten schemes were chosen for awards: Peter Jones, RIBA, for his hanging sign "Aubrey at Marcia Gray" in Parchment Street; Lisney Associates for the landscaping of the car park at Highcroft; Plincke Leaman & Browning for Calpe House in Little Minster Street, the Dolphin Development, the Park House in Stratton Road, and their new offices at 5 The Square; Michael Warren, RIBA, for a new terrace of houses in St. James Lane; Underdown & Brealey for extensions to Morsheads in St. Cross Road; Evans Roberts & Partners for the refurbishment of 73 to 81 Romsey Road and Sheridan House in Jewry Street.
The rules for entry also allow commendations to be made and it was considered that five further entries were of sufficient quality to be included in this category although, for one reason or another, they did not merit an award. The commendations were given to the City Architect for the Friarsgate Car ,Park; Sainsbury Chamberlain Jones & Associates for 9 Parchment Street; Underdown & Brealey for Du Boulays extensions; and Evans Roberts & Partners for Woolverston Old People's Flats and Marston's Brewery Yard. Two further entries were invited to resubmit when planting had matured: Evans Roberts & Partners for rehabilitation of the Old Coach House for the Hospital, and Lisney Associates for new offices at Highcroft.
The awards were presented in January by the Mayor of Winchester at the Heritage Centre and an exhibition of all entries accompanied by the panel's comments was on display for a further month. The inclusion of the losing entries was a question of some debate but, in the end, it was thought to be much better for the public to see the total range of applications because only then could the standard of award be appreciated and, when accompanied by the panel's comments, visitors to the exhibition might have cause to consider the criteria necessary for good design.
The presentation and exhibition received considerable coverage in the local press and in the professional architectural press. It is hoped that the interest from the professional press will encourage more architects not working in Winchester to enter their buildings in the future.
Winners will be able to display a special terracotta plaque illustrated in the last Annual Report, and some of these have already appeared on some of the buildings. Winners were also presented with a most attractive certificate, the design and preparation of which was very kindly donated by Miss Marian Aylwin.
The first year of the award scheme had run its course by February of this year and was considered by those involved to have been a great success. Not only had good design been encouraged in the City, but the Trust was being presented to a broader public as a responsible supporter of sympathetic redevelopment helping to dispel the unfortunate "preserve or die" image which dogs so many conservation groups.
The second year of the award scheme is now well under way. This year's Chairman is Roy Worskett, once the Conservation Officer of Bath and now an eminent planning consultant. This is the last time that buildings and projects in the last five years are invited; in future the limit will be two years. This five year rule was introduced in the first two years to make up the backlog of projects in the City.
In future the number of awards will probably be fewer and the award will, it is hoped, become a coveted prize. The award scheme will soon appear in the national publication of architectural awards and has established itself as one of the country's principal locally orientated design prizes.