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RICS South West

ENTRIES FOR THIS YEAR’S RICS SOUTH WEST AWARDS

Twenty-one projects from across the region will be competing in this year‘s Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) South West Awards – the “Oscars” of the built environment.

The awards are split into five categories - building conservation, community benefit, regeneration, sustainability and project of the year – and cover all aspects of land, property, construction and associated environmental issues.  Davis Langdon are the sponsors of the regeneration category; sustainability is sponsored by South West RDA and English Partnerships sponsor Project of the Year. 

Last year, one project based in the region, the Circomedia circus school at St. Paul‘s Church, Portland Sqaure in Bristol, went on to win not only the community benefit award at the International RICS Awards ceremony, held in London but also commended for building conservation.

This year‘s South West entries include:

  • the restoration of a 14th Century roof at Pilton Barn near Bath, one of four surviving barns originally attached to Glastonbury Abbey
  • the regeneration of Foundry Farm, a previously derelict site in Hayle, Cornwall, to create quality affordable workspace
  • the sustainable Genesis Project, based at Somerset College of Arts and Technology in Taunton
  • an environmentally-friendly Grade II listed warehouse development providing serviced offices and workshop space at Great Bow Wharf, Langport in Somerset
  • the Boscombe Library re-development in Bournemouth, which includes 24 affordable flats
  • the repair and restoration of a semi-derelict medieval tithe barn to provide a community hall in Dunster, Somerset
  • the regeneration of Shepton Mallet town centre
  • the opening of Richmond Painswick Retirement Village in Painswick, Gloucestershire
  • the expansion of Blandford St. Mary Primary School in Dorset from first to primary status
  • the rescue of a Grade II listed Medieval House, Clerks Cottage near Bridgwater, Somerset, from complete dereliction using traditional local materials
  • the repair and conversion of Court Barn in Gloucestershire; to house the archive and collections of the Guild of Handicraft Trust
  • the Bovington link road in Dorset where the environmental designations surrounding the location gave rise to a challenging project
  • 3 new building on the Glenside Manor site in Wiltshire; a new hospital with 5 wards and a complex of 10 bungalows where tenants can live independently
  • the regeneration of a former shipyard to provide a coastal apartment development, Quay West at West Bay in Dorset
  • the restoration and sustainability of an area of important conservation value on an operational MoD airfield in Cornwall
  • a scheme to allow Debut office staff to ‘give something back‘ to the communities throughout the South West
  • a stand alone single storey Art Studio at Hareclive Primary School, Bristol
  • the development on Headland Road, Newquay in Cornwall to provide a three storey boarding house

A panel of experts in their field are now judging the regional entries. The panel is chaired by David Marsh, former senior partner at King Sturge.  The winners will be presented with their awards at the Bath Pump Rooms on 8th May where Bob Constantine, ITV West will host the event. 

Matthew McKaig, Regional Director RICS West, commented: “Once again we have a number of innovative entries which are outstanding and high calibre projects.

“Last year, St Paul‘s Church in Bristol was recognised at the main awards in London, and hopefully one of the winners from this year‘s South West competition will follow in their footsteps.”

For more information please visit www.rics.org/swawards2008

ENDS             6th March 2008

For further information please contact Katie Hawkes-Pippen, Sturgess Van Damme, on 01275 349011 or email katie@sturgessvandamme.co.uk