PRESS RELEASE: Eight examples of ecologically and socially pioneering architecture exhibited in the 2021 Open House Festival

For immediate release | Monday 22 August

  • Shortlist of the Open City Stewardship Awards for environmentally and socially sustainable city-making to be exhibited in London’s 2021 Open House Festival.

  • The Open City Stewardship Awards is the only British prize to celebrate long-term low-carbon architecture and city-making strategies.

  • The Stewardship Awards shortlist includes community-led housing in Lewisham, the London School of Economics Campus and Kingston School of Art.

Open City has announced the shortlist of the 2022 Open City Stewardship Awards for socially and environmentally sustainable architecture and city-making. The charity will feature the shortlist in its 30th Open House Festival which runs from 4 – 12 September 2021.

The shortlist comprises a range of projects at different scales from the management of Covent Garden Market to a meanwhile community project in Tolworth. Other highlights include the refurbishment of the Kingston School of Art, retrofitting a 1970s university building, a pioneering thatched university building designed by Architype Architects, and the transformation of a 20th century parking structure into artist studios and a community garden.

The shortlist demonstrates tactics for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of the UK built environment sector which is currently a major contributor to global heating with around 40% of UK carbon emissions linked to the construction, demolition or operation of buildings. 

The Open City Stewardship Awards are the only built environment awards in the UK to explicitly celebrate long-term strategies for confronting the climate crisis through architecture, landscape and city-making. 

Rhea Martin, chair of the Open City Stewardship Awards, said: “Great urban stewardship is about working responsively in changing circumstances, whether that’s on a local scale, or a global one. In the wake of the recent IPCC report on global heating, it is clearer than ever that conventional approaches to urban development at all scales require strategic rethinking. We’re excited to champion some outstanding and tangible examples of socially and environmentally pioneering practice.”


Eight examples of architecture to prevent climate breakdown:

Kingston School of Art by Haworth Tompkins

The refurbishment of a 1970s university building, bringing expanses of under-utilised flat roofs into use and connecting with the riverfront with an outdoor gallery and stone workshops. By refurbishing an existing building rather than building a new one from scratch, the architects massively reduced the carbon emissions of the project.

– The building will be open with tours by Haworth Tompkins associate director Dan Tassell on Friday 10th September.

The Enterprise Centre by Architype
A pioneering thatched building for the University of East Anglia, designed according to whole-life carbon principles and with the innovative use of natural and bio-based materials.

– An online discussion hosted by the architects will take place on Wednesday 8th September as part of the festival programme, including the thatcher who developed the cladding material.

Dalston Eastern Curve Garden
A mature public garden in Hackney showing how an ecological micro-climate and social space can be made on a small urban plot. The garden is now designated as a site of local importance for nature conservation.

– The Curve Garden will be open to visitors throughout the Open House Festival, as well as offering guided tours for up to 15 people which can be booked through the festival website.


Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm
Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm is a community-led project working to protect the historic Victorian farm buildings and transform the entire site into a vibrant and sustainable community hub. The project shows how civic organisations can create new community facilities without resorting to demolition and reconstruction which is a major source of carbon emissions.
Clitterhouse farm will be open to the public on Saturday 4th and Saturday 11th September.

Peveril Gardens and Artist’s Studios by Sanchez Benton

A garden on top of a former garage structure at the base of tower block Peveril House in Southwark. The base of the structure has been refurbished as a set of artists’ studios using minimal interventions and the roof turned into a public garden. This project highlights what is possible when architects refurbish existing buildings rather than demolishing them, which is extremely polluting.

The architects, Sanches Benton, will be giving public talks about the project on Monday 6th September as part of Open House Festival.


Covent Garden Market, managed by Capital and Counties and Incentive FM

This iconic 17th century square originally designed by Inigo Jones and famous for once housing London’s historic fruit and vegetable market has been managed for the past 15 years with a pioneering in-house approach to greening and biodiversity with a dedicated horticultural supervisor.
– Covent Garden will be open to the public throughout the Open House Festival, and will be offering free guided tours during the programme.


SHEDx Tolworth by the Community Brain
A temporary project developed by community interest company, The Community Brain as a hub for activities exploring rewilding, access to local green space, and other initiatives including a new community farm. SHEDx reveals how even small urban projects can play a significant role in addressing the climate emergency.

Community Brain will be running tours on the Friday 10th September as part of the Open House Festival


Church Grove by the Rural Urban Synthesis Society
A mixed-tenure low-carbon community-owned development of 36 new homes which aims to establish a new community reflecting the diversity of surrounding neighbourhoods. This project shows how ordinary people can come together to create ecologically-friendly homes with limited resources.

The houses are currently under construction but RUSS’s self-built community hub will host an open day on Saturday 11th September, including talks with residents and self-builders.


Images

Images for press use are available here.


Notes

  • The 2021 Open House Festival will launch on Saturday 4 September and run for nine days until Sunday 12 September. 

  • Full listings for the 2021 Open House Festival are now live at www.openhouselondon.org.uk/2021. In order to facilitate contact tracing, visitors are required to book ahead for most events.

  • The Open City Stewardship Awards are national, and comprise five categories: 

    • Outstanding Estate Management

    • Circular Economy and Design Leadership

    • Social Stewardship

    • Open Space Stewardship

    • Post-occupancy Adaptation

  • In a typical year the London Open House Festival attracts 250,000 visitors making it the largest and most inclusive event of its kind in the world.

  • There are 50 other Open House Festivals around the world including in New York City, Lagos, Taipei and Zurich which are supported by Open City, the charity behind the Open House Festival.


Contact

Rhea Martin

rhea@open-city.org.uk

07792210267


Press enquiries

press@open-city.org.uk


Website: www.open-city.org.uk/stewardship-awards

Twitter handle: @opencitylondon @openhouselondon



About Open City

Open City is a UK charity committed to making architecture and urban design more accessible, open and equitable. For 30 years we have engaged citizens, particularly from under-represented backgrounds, to learn about architecture and city making, and have a meaningful role in shaping their future. From our flagship Open House Festival and its international network Open House Worldwide, connecting 46 cities around the globe, to pioneering education programmes, films, podcasts and publications we open up buildings, places and careers in the built environment to those who are normally locked out of them. 


https://open-city.org.uk/ 


Construction Declares


Construction Declares is an international group of built environment practices that have committed to radically changing their practice to tackle the twin climate and biodiversity crises. 


https://constructiondeclares.com/


Public Practice 


Public Practice is a not-for-profit company founded in September 2017 by the Greater London Authority and seed funded by six founding Partners from across the public, third and private sectors.


https://www.publicpractice.org.uk/about/about-us


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