Building for Life Award winners announced

A record number of developments have acheived the Building for Life standard this year.

Rostron Brow, Stockport
Photo by Eddy Rhead.

Despite the challenging economic climate, more schemes than ever before were submitted for the prestigious Building for Life standard - 125 in 2008, rising from 35 in 2007. A record number of developments have achieved the Standard, which means they demonstrated a commitment to high quality design, good placemaking and sustainable development.

Six of those 24 schemes which achieved Building for Life standard were outstanding enough to also be given a Building for Life Award at a ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The schemes range from townhouses in Brighton to terraced housing in central London, and town-centre flats in Stockport and Sheffield. All were designed by British architects.

Wayne Hemingway, chair of Building for Life for five years, presented the awards. He said: \"This is almost certainly the most challenging economic climate that developers have ever had to face, but I think this year's winners point to a positive future for the home buyer - and might just point to a new paradigm in housing delivery.

"The winners show that the concept of creating places where it's possible to have access to leisure, public transport and employment is alive. The fact that we have a first time developer - with an interest in their own community - amongst the winners shows the value of fresh thinking and perhaps signals how we should be thinking about delivering homes in the future.\"

One award has gone to the Sinclair Building in Sheffield where first time developer Christian Sinclair with architects, Project Orange, have transformed a run-down terrace on a main road into a characterful scheme with retail on street level and homes above. In Portsmouth, the massive Gunwharf Quays project has shown how a scheme can regenerate a city centre by providing retail, leisure space and housing. A bold move by a high-volume housebuilder who took on an ex-military site has paid off with an award going to the Royal Arsenal in Greenwich.