Winners of the 2022 Open City Stewardship Awards
Six outstanding examples of long term, low carbon urbanism unveiled as winners of the 2022 Open City Stewardship Awards.
London School of Economics, Dalston Curve Garden, Hawkins\Brown with Buro Happold, Architype with Morgan Sindall, Capital & Counties and Clitterhouse Farm take the top prizes.
Winning projects across six urban stewardship categories include a community garden, the London School of Economics and a post-occupancy strategy.
The Open City Stewardship Awards is the only built environment prize to celebrate holistic, ecologically and socially-sustainable long-term architecture and city-making strategies.
Open City has today announced the winners of the 2022 Open City Stewardship Awards for sustainable environmental and social governance of architecture and city-making. The awards, sponsored by Peabody and supported by Construction Declares and Public Practice, celebrate the very best examples of strategic and long-term care of the built environment.
The winners across six urban stewardship categories comprise a wide range of projects at different scales, from the management of Covent Garden Market to a university-backed post-occupancy strategy and several community projects.
The winners across the six categories are listed below:
Social Stewardship
Meaningful long term engagement with the local community is often the most important factor in the ongoing success of any urban project. This award recognises strategic leadership in community engagement which enfranchises local voices and evolves with time.
Winner: Dalston Eastern Curve Garden – J&L Gibbons, Muf Art/Architecture
A community garden built on an old railway line with beds for local residents to grow food.
Finalists: The Church Grove Project, Rural Urban Synthesis Society (RUSS) | Brasted Close Community Land Trust and ShedX, Community Brain
Judges’ comments: Dalston Eastern Curve Garden’s ability to raise £100,000 from their local community during lockdown was a fantastic testament to their social impact and perceived value in the community. The judges were also hugely impressed by the passionate advocacy of their two representatives, Marie Murray and Brian Cumming and their desire to use the garden to address poor mental health and social isolation.
Material and Resource Management
This award recognises ambitious delivery of circular economy principles and circular design in built projects. Winners will have managed whole life low carbon strategies and demonstrate long term resource planning.
Winner: The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia – Architype with Morgan Sindall Churchman Thornhill Finch and BDP.
A low carbon teaching facility featuring thatched panel walls.
Finalists: Peveril Gardens and Artists’ Studios – Sanchez Benton Architects
Judges’ comments: The enterprise centre was commended as a beacon for the industry which has stood the test of time over a decade. The team demonstrated good long term resource management in planning for a 100-year building life and high performance standards as well as seizing unexpected opportunities like the reuse of Iroko teak benches from the chemistry department in the cladding of the later building. The judges also appreciated the calculations of embodied carbon, the structure's potential for demounting and the efforts taken to ensure local sourcing of materials.
Post Occupancy In Practice
Awarded to projects where considered post-occupancy evaluation has led to successful and informed adjustments following the completion of a new or newly refurbished building.
Winner: The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL – Hawkins\Brown and Buro Happold.
A new university building with a highly detailed post-occupancy evaluation strategy.
Finalists: Everyman Theatre, Liverpool – Howarth Tompkins | The Enterprise Centre, University of East Anglia (UEA) – Architype with Morgan Sindall, Churchman Thornhill Finch and BDP
Judges’ comments: The Bartlett, was commended for its independent, detailed evaluation, good data pool and extensive surveys and for its stakeholder collaboration with both students and client from the outset. The judges were impressed that the post occupancy evaluation began straight after occupation and that the measurements were clearly separated into functional, technical and process categories, further supported by good learning outcomes.
Estate Management
Great estates managers lead complex buildings and open spaces, working with numerous designers, contractors and users to deliver sustainable, vibrant places in which workers and structures are well cared for. This award is given to the managers of a building or multiple buildings in recognition of outstanding work over a five or more year period.
2022 Winner: Capital & Counties at Covent Garden
A major maintenance, gardening and long-term tenancy strategy in the West End.
Finalists: The London School of Economics and Political Sciences | Argent at Kings Cross
Judges comments: The jury commended the work by CapCo that looked at the ways to incentivise and motivate the cleaning and estate management teams and appreciated the people-driven ethos on show. The jury noted the attention to detail on their day-to-day practice and personnel development as opposed to a pure commercial focus on high value land and buildings.
Open Space Stewardship
This award recognises the value of continual care and cultivation required to ensure an enduring and successful public open space. It is open to the custodians of open green space such as parks and gardens, managers of hard and wet landscapes such as market squares, canals and streets and welcomes entries by local authorities, private groundskeepers, community groups or others.
2022 Winner: Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm
A vibrant and innovative social enterprise working in north Cricklewood.
Finalists: Capital & Counties at Covent Garden | Dalston Curve Garden –J&L Gibbons,
Muf Art/Architecture
Judges comments: It was agreed that this award should be given to Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm for their vision and potential to achieve major change. The jury were pleased to note the increasing community involvement in this work and hoped that this would continue.
The Irene Barclay Prize
This prize is awarded for all-round strength across multiple categories. The Irene Barclay Prize is named after the noted campaigner for social housing and the first woman to qualify in England as a chartered surveyor in 1922. Born in 1894, Barclay's long-standing contribution to neighbourhoods across London including in Somers Town, the Isle of Dogs, Kensington made her a true steward of the city.
Winner: London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
The Aldwych campus of LSE and the long-term strategy LSE deploy to develop and care for it.
Judges’ comments: LSE has consistently, gradually and confidently been remaking its Holborn campus into one of the best and most sustainable university neighbourhoods in the capital. Rather than securitising access and outsourcing contracts as is common elsewhere, LSE has bravely brought cleaning staff in-house and opened up generous public spaces within its new buildings. As a client, LSE has commissioned some outstanding contemporary architecture, but it is the university's long-term vision, deep care and custodianship of its historic neighbourhood and thriving community that makes it a true steward of the city.
Quotes
“These awards aim to make maintenance as sexy as architecture”
Ellen Halstead, Director of Strategy and Programme for Thamesmead at Peabody, who was one of the judges of the awards, said:
“The Open City Stewardship Awards shine a light on the often unsung acts of care taking place across our towns and cities. Huge congratulations to all the winners for the incredible work they’ve put into these projects – whether creating a community garden or maintaining a Central London landmark. Ongoing care and maintenance are critical both to the creation and upkeep of great neighbourhoods. We know this from our regeneration and placemaking work at Thamesmead, where we’re committed to improving, growing and looking after the town for the long term. of Their work will no doubt inspire built environmental professionals across the UK to look up, reflect on their own practice and achieve even more when it comes to looking after places, now and for years to come.”
Phineas Harper, CEO of Open City said:
“There are many awards for new buildings but the Open City Stewardship Awards are unique in recognising that great city-making is not just about creating new places, but how existing buildings and neighbourhoods are cared for, celebrated, improved and enhanced. The Open City Stewardship Awards aim to shift the conversation about successful urbanism and design towards a vital discussion which values the ongoing care of places and communities. We hope to make great maintenance and estate management as sexy and as venerated as the best architectural masterpieces.”
Images
Download images of the winners, trophies and awards ceremony here.
Contact
Contact press@open-city.org.uk for comment or questions.
Partners
The Open City Stewardship Awards were created in partnership with Peabody, Public Practice and Construction Declares.
About Peabody
Peabody is one of the oldest and most well-known housing associations in the UK. We’re committed to providing great homes, good and responsive services, and making a positive difference to communities.
We’re driving forward the transformation of Thamesmead - a 30 year programme of regeneration and renewal - collaborating with the London Borough of Bexley, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Greater London Authority, Transport for London and other partners. Our mission is to improve, grow and look after the town for the long term.
https://www.thamesmeadnow.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
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 over 50 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.