New Forest's own grand designs awarded with architecture accolades
SOME of the most innovative, sympathetic and ingenious structures in the New Forest have been celebrated at the national park authority’s annual building design awards.
A panel of judges made up of national park authority members chose winners in the categories of best conservation scheme and best non-residential scheme.
The conservation winner was a farmhouse in the Exbury area designed by McLean Quinlan Architects and Footprint Architects, and built by Emery Building and Carpentry.
It has been fully restored and minimally extended in a sympathetic style with a high standard of materials and design throughout.
The awards panel commended its simplicity and the obvious conservation benefit to the listed buildings on the site.
The best non-residential scheme was the rebuilt visitor centre at Lepe Country Park, designed by Hampshire County Council Property Services Department and built by W. Stirland Ltd.
Designed with the potential for flooding in mind, the building has weathered to blend in with the colour of the sand and cliff, the panel said.
NPA planning committee chairman Leo Randall said: “Around 1,000 planning applications are submitted in the national park each year – with more than 80% approved - and as the planning authority we appreciate the importance of good design in the national park.
“We are pleased to be rewarding buildings that have been positively received by those living in or visiting the national park and would like to thank all the residents, parish councils and architects for nominating projects for an award.”
Additionally, the panel issued two certificates of high commendation as part of the design awards.
The first went to the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) building at Brockenhurst College, designed by HNW Architects, and the second to Woodgreen Methodist Church, owned by Jennifer Hart.
