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2009 results
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| Eco-house in Drayton Lane, Best New Building, | The Friary, Southsea, Best Restoration |
- Best New Buildings
- Eco-house at Drayton Lane
- Commended - Development at Wilton Place Southsea
- Best restoration
- The Friary in Marmion Road Southsea
- Commended -Treadgold’s Warehouse in Aylward Street
- Commended -Shakespeare Apartments, Elm Grove
- Commended -Treadgold’s Warehouse in Aylward Street
- Best Landscaping
- None this year
Portsmouth is one of the few cities in the United Kingdom that is seriously threatened by sea level rise caused by the emission of green house gases. It is for this reason that the Portsmouth Society is paying special attention this year to those designs by both the public and private sectors that break new ground in sustainable development. So this has been added as a fourth judging criteria to those of previous years: a ‘wow’ factor, a positive contribution to the street scene, and whether the building works for the occupants.
The Society is pleased to announce that the winner of the Best New Building Award is a small private house at 15 Drayton Lane. The crisp design sits very well in the street context, it updates local features, and its internal curving lines draw you into the garden and outdoor living.
Its design was a collaborative partnership between the architect Mick Morris and his clients, the owners, a local family Stephen, Victoria & Blake Cripps. Here is a design that fits exquisitely into the street, like the Tardis, tiny outside but a large family home providing large areas of open space inside. The property is unique in being in one of only 438 certified houses in the UK that achieve this level of sustainability. Of these 438 very few are privately owned. In the main these examples have been funded by the government for social housing programmes, where code three of sustainable homes is mandatory.
The heating is produced via a ground source heat pump which collects heat from pipes laid in trenches in the garden areas, serving the under floor heating in the winter, reversed to in the summer months to cool the building. In addition to this, a large log burner provides 50% of the house’s heating requirements. The hot water is produced by 7 m2 of solar water panels fixed to the garage roof. Water saving measures have been introduced to restrict the flow to both taps and w/cs. This ensures a maximum of -105 litres of water per days-per person is met. Low energy lighting is used both internally and externally to ensure that electrical use has been kept to a minimum, including the use of A+ rated white goods throughout. The property is currently having 4.5kw of P V panels installed which will generate 80% of the electrical demand, due for completion within the next eight weeks. Externally the rainwater is collected and stored and is used for external taps.
Mick Morris and Steve Cripps have thrown down the gauntlet to architects and builders, challenging others to follow. The Portsmouth Society wants to encourage all development to achieve these high standards, for the sake of future generations. The construction works were undertaken by local company PMC Construction & Development Services Ltd
Janet Storey’s inspiring development in Wilton Place Southsea won a Commendation in this category: four interesting houses full of light designed by Robert Benn Architects and also built by PMC Construction & Development Services Ltd. were created on a constricted site of an old dairy, stable and restored cottage. The scheme is a model of how to reuse small pockets of city land to creative and enjoyable effect.
The judges: Merrick Denton-Thompson, Graham Steaggles, Deane Clark and Celia Clark also had to consider enormous new buildings in the same category: Queen Alexandra Hospital, Highbury College, the new swimming pool and gym at the Mountbatten Centre, the Cosham Interchange block of flats and Southsea Medical Centre in Somerstown.
They praised WH Saunders’ Mountbatten Centre’s innovative technology, community emphasis, and the way the technical challenge of delivering Olympic performance and learning to swim were met, as well the considerable efforts in energy-saving and the beautiful timber roof of the swimming pool. They enjoyed the light airy feel of the huge new extension to Queen Alexandra Hospital by BDP Architects and Carillion Construction, and the building’s contribution to energy saving and innovation in clinical facilities. The new Highbury College has an elegant foyer, staircase and light filled spine corridor, and impressive specialist teaching spaces. Photovoltaic cells above the entrance façade make considerable reductions in energy bills. The public areas of both QA and Highbury are enhanced by large photographs of Portsmouth by staff and students.
The enjoyable and careful upgrading of Thomas Ellis Owen’s block of flats, The Friary in Marmion Road Southsea by architect Gary Seymour of Seymour Bainbridge architects of Winchester and builder Winnicotts for Mr. and Mrs.Philip Hill of the Game Trust was the well deserved winner of the Best Restoration Award. The affordable flats now have both bathrooms and kitchens – shared before – and the exterior and the interior communal spaces have been renovated. We had very positive feedback from the tenants, including the gardener who makes it a pleasure to walk by. The gates, railings and benches are by local blacksmith, Peter Clutterbuck.
There were two Commendations in this category: Richard Sexton’s ambitious and impressive transformation of Treadgold’s Warehouse in Aylward Street into four spectacular apartments, overcoming considerable structural challenges in the process. Steve Langton of Smith and Langton, winner of several earlier Restoration Awards converted Shakespeare Apartments, part of the substantial terrace in Elm Grove into upgraded spacious flats, creating a well designed new frontage to replace the former supermarket and symbolise the change of use. The ingenious conversion of an electricity substation in Rectory Avenue into a little house was admired. The judges also commended BAE Systems for the sparkling and elegant new entrance foyer designed by Robert Benn Associates created in the Old Iron Foundry in HM Naval Base, and look forward to completion of the conversion of the ground floor to offices.
The judges also enjoyed Bewley’s conversion of the Art Deco Quay House Broad Street Old Portsmouth to large apartments, the highest with roof gardens with wonderful views. The White Swan pub in Guildhall Walk has been given a spectacular new interior with a dramatic central bar designed by Carly Witt of K.D. Paine Associates Ltd, and the stained glass windows of the Air Balloon, severely damaged by a fire, have been carefully recreated in the conversion to flats.
Although there were no Landscape Awards this year, the judges commended the City Council’s adventurous play areas in Victoria Park and Aylward Street Portsea. They hope to judge the restoration of the Guildhall Clocktower next year - though access may be difficult!
Celia Clark, President, Portsmouth Society