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2008 results
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- Best New Buildings
- Admiralty Quarter in Queen Street, Portsea
- Priory View in Cumberland Gate (by Fratton Bridge)
- Modern timber-framed house at 10 West Street, Old Portsmouth
- Commended - Dennis Sciama building and its landscaping, University of Portsmouth
- Priory View in Cumberland Gate (by Fratton Bridge)
- Best Adaptation
- Conversion of electricity substation at 50 St. Ronan's Road, Southsea
- Best Landscaping
- Ceramic roundel celebrating the city's buildings and seashore at the entrance to St. Jude's School in Old Portsmouth
Rising design standards in Portsmouth are reflected in no less than three Best New Building Awards by the judges of the Portsmouth Society Design Awards for 2009. Portsmouth deserves new buildings of the highest standard, and these three awards demonstrate just how this is achieved.
Best New buildings
The huge new Admiralty Quarter in Queen Street Portsea designed by David Richmond and Partners Ltd. for Crest Nicholson is streets ahead of the usual large development. The excellence of its design is matched by the sparkling block of flats: Priory View in Cumberland Gate near Fratton Bridge by Horace Architects for Downland Housing Association.
The third building to be given an award in the Best New Building category is the modern timber-framed house in West Street, Old Portsmouth. Commendation in this category went to the Dennis Sciama building in Portsea and its landscaping designed by Van Heyningen Architects for the University, which houses the world-beating Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation.
Best Adaptation
The extraordinary conversion of the electricity substation by architect Stuart Bone into a house: No.50 St. Ronan's Road, Southsea is the winner of the Best Adaptation Award.
Best Landscaping
Winner of the Best Landscaping Award is the lovely ceramic roundel celebrating the city's buildings and seashore at the entrance to St Jude's School in Old Portsmouth, which was created by the pupils with the help of Artist & Designer Kevin Dean.
The judges, Tom Dyckhoff architectural critic of the Times, Councillor Cheryl Buggy the city's Design and Historic Environment Champion, Paul Ramshaw Head of Regeneration and Planning Policy at Eastleigh Borough Council, and Celia Clark and Robin Kay of the Portsmouth Society saw eighteen entries for the awards.
Other entries
Other entries included the commendably meticulous restoration by Defence Estates of the Grade 1 Block Mills in HM Naval Base - which awaits an appropriate new use. They were impressed by the high standard of care of the main building, chapel and gardens at St. James's Hospital by the Portsmouth City PCT Trust. The Omega Centre, an 1880s Board School, has been given a new lease of life by the Workers' Educational Association, which has invested a large legacy in upgrading and re-equipping it for its expanding educational role in Somers Town.
The Judges
The judges also saw the conversion of the seventeenth century Guardsman restaurant in Fratton Road into three houses; and the internationally recognised Elizabeth Foundation's building and garden for the diagnosis and education of deaf children - which has been gradually extended by architect Roger Boyce. We enjoyed the ingenious conversion and extension of 1 Florence Road, Southsea by architect Mick Morris and the upgrading of the Clarence Hotel, Southsea once known as "Hesperus", by owners Mark and Jenny Brunning. The extension of the Porter's Garden enhances the surroundings of the Boathouse 6 in the Historic Dockyard.
"Good design need not cost the earth" - Paul Ramshaw
Paul Ramshaw said "Portsmouth deserves new buildings of the highest standard and the three new build awards reflects how this can be achieved. In particular, Priory View demonstrates that you can have a great design that does not cost the earth!"
The Awards
Award winners will receive the Society's blue ceramic plaques, and those commended, special certificates. We can look forward to another bumper year in 2010 when the Mountbatten Centre, Queen Alexandra Hospital and Mick Morris's original new house in terms of both design and sustainability at 15 Drayton Lane will be on our list.
Background
If you would like to nominate a new building, restoration, re-use or a landscaping scheme in Portsmouth for consideration in the next competition, please email us at
and these will go forward for possible inclusion. Judging for the Design Awards takes place each September where our panel of judges decide which is the best new building, best restored building and best landscaping scheme completed in the City during the previous year.
Celia Clark