Celebrating East Suffolk’s Best Building Design

The winners of an annual awards programme which celebrates the best building design and conservation projects in East Suffolk have been announced.

East Suffolk Council’s ‘Quality of Place Awards’ recognise the efforts of people across the district to enhance the quality of the environment, by creating high-quality designs in both the built and natural environment and helping to conserve historic buildings. 

Nominations were invited during the summer and the winners, judged on quality of design and detailing, quality of workmanship, use of materials and sustainability, were chosen last month during a series of Covid-secure visits.

Cllr David Ritchie, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for Planning and Coastal Management said: “As always, we received an incredibly high standard of entries with some extremely impressive builds. The winning schemes reflect both modern building designs and historic conversions that all add to the character of our district and although more difficult to undertake during these challenging times, we are pleased to have been able to safely continue with these awards for another year.”

The winners of this year’s Quality of Place Awards are: 

Design Award – joint winners

• Gainsborough House, Nacton. Architect – Craig Beech, owners – Graham and Nicola Christison.
  
• Pightle House, Ufford. Architect – Peter Wells Architects Ltd, owners – Simon Read and Ros Conway, designers – Peter Wells and Keith Webber in collaboration with Ros Conway and Simon Read, contractor – Harrison Wildon Ltd.

More…

Design Award – Highly Commended

• CEFAS, Lowestoft. Designed by Maddie Negus at AWW.

Building Conservation Award – Winner

• Wingfield House, Saxmundham. Developers – Skinner & Salter Partnership, architects – Hollins Architects, surveyors – Clive Tanner and Bob Foulkes, contractors – Amma Contractors, civil and structural engineers – Stroud Associates Ltd.

Building Conservation Award – Highly Commended

• Aldeburgh Moot Hall Regeneration Project – nominated by Tony Bone on behalf of Aldeburgh Museum Charitable Trust, architect/designers – Hudson Architects with Sutton Vane (lighting) and Iris Butcher (graphics), digital design and implementation – Heritage Interactive, contractor – Elmwood Projects Ltd and Worsley Woodworking.
  
• Stanaway Farmhouse, Otley. Architect – Ed Thuell at Whitworth Architects, owners – Felix Thornley Cobbold Agricultural Trust C/O Lacy Scott & Knight, contractors – Rose Builders, quantity surveyor – Richard Sewell, structural engineer/principal designer – Nigel Wilson / Simon Wright at Andrew Firebrace Partnership.

Landscape Award – Winner

• Wilderness Reserve and Heveningham Estates’ Team, Sibton Park. Architect – Argus Gathorne Hardy, run by the Wilderness Reserve and Heveningham Estates Team, owners – Jon and Lois Hunt, design team – Kim Wilkie and Argus Hardy, landscaping team – Rob and Rowan Orford – Miles Water, Guy Newton – Heveningham Estate Team. 

Community Award – Winner

• Westleton Village Hall. Core consulting – Alex Alexander and Tony Ingram, core fundraising – Alex Alexander; Anne ingram; Chris Wood; John Bebbington; Maddie Kerry, client procurement facilitator – Tony Ingram DArch Riba AoU, architects – OWL Architects (Simon Smeaton), quantity surveyor – Castons (Peter Dring; Simon Frost; Richard Sewell), historic building analysis – Trevor Garnham, contractors – Vickery Building and Renovation, main contract – Robert Norman.

Community Award – Highly Commended

• St Michael’s Church, Beccles (Phase 2). Nomination by John Bailey – Building Committee Member, charity – the Parochial Church Council of The Ecclesiastical Parish of St. Michael’s and St Luke’s Beccles, architect – Philip Orchard from Messrs Whitworth, main contractor – M S Oakes Ltd, Chairman of St. Michael’s Building Committee – Phil Filer.

A virtual awards ceremony took place on 8 February.