Partnerships: York Design Awards
The York Design Awards celebrate the heritage of fine buildings in the city of York and encourage a high standard of design. These prestigious Awards are open to developments within the City of York boundary which were completed during the previous two years. The Trust is represented in the judging of the Awards. This link takes you to the Awards website.
Awards are won for quality of design and craftmanship, for sustainability, and for response to surroundings, including heritage and open space.
The 2017 Awards will be launched on 6 February by curator and designer Lewis Biggs.
The 2016 Awards involved renowned designer and critic Stephen Bayley. The York Press on 3 June invited the public to vote for the People’s Award, choosing between these locations:
52 Westminster Road, Heworth Edge, Toft Green Chambers, The Walk (former Holgate Villas), Askham Park, Le Tour Way, off Beckfield Lane, King’s Square, Shambles Market, York Racecourse Northern End phase 2, York Racecourse John Carr Stand, Student Castle Walmgate, Animal Management Centre at Askham Bryant College, Queens House refurbishment, Shadow House Belle Vue Tce, Hiscox Building, Hunter House Goodramgate, Fulford School Sports Centre, Walmgate Bar Conservation, Hotel Indigo Walmgate, Environment Building University of York, Construction and Skills Centre at York College, St Leonard’s Place/Bootham Bar new cafe and public loo, New facilities Holy Trinity Church, New access St Olave’s Church, Extension and Eco-retrofit, Badger Wood Walk, Strensall Community Bridge, York Art Gallery re-development, Cafe/repair shop at Your Bike Shed.
On 22 June 2016 at the Ron Cooke Hub the winners were announced.
Residential, small: Shadow House, Fishergate; and Badger Wood Walk
Residential, large: Student Castle, off Walmgate
Commercial, small: St Leonard’s Place/Bootham Bar new cafe and public loo; and Your Bike Shed Cycle cafe and repair workshop
Commercial, large: the Hiscox Insurance HQ building, Peaseholme Green
Public and Community: York Art Gallery redevelopment, Exhibition Square (also won the Lord Mayor’s Award)
Open Space: King’s Square
John Shannon Award for Conservation/Restoration: Walmgate Bar
The Press People’s Award: Hotel Indigo
There are three broad categories: New Build,Conservation/Reuse, and Open Space. Spaces between and around buildings are very important to the city and the Awards Scheme hopes to encourage more projects in the private or public realm, whether it be landscaping or revitalisation of an open space.
The overall winning entry was the Garden House, in the grounds of the Purey Cust development besides York Minster – which was the winner of the ‘Small residential’ category. The second winner in that category was a semi-detached house at 7 Croftway, and the third winner was the Victorian former Probate Office.
In the ‘Large Residential’ category, the winner was:
The Chase, Church Lane, Bishopthorpe
In the ‘Large Non-Residential’ category, the winners were:
The Weighing Room at York Racecourse
The Archive Hub at York Library
In the ‘Small Non-Residential’ category the winner was:
The Extension to St Everilda’s Church
In the ‘Conservation’ Category, the winner was:
Millthorpe School
In the ‘Craftmanship’ category the winner was:
Piccadilly Lofts
The ‘York Press People’s Award’ winner was:
St Peter’s School new entrance and reception
For the 2014 Awards (the eighth year of the project) and the vote by York residents for a People’s Prize, see the Press of 4 June 2014.
General Information
Initiated in 2007, the Awards are organised by a steering committee whose members include: City of York Council, English Heritage, York Guild of Building, York Civic Trust, York Archaeological Trust, York Consortium for Conservation and Craftsmanship (www.conservationyork.org.uk). It is not a competition as such: buildings and conservation projects are too varied, particularly in scale. The judgement is whether a scheme reaches a particularly high standard and there can be more than one Award in any category. The aim is to promote excellence in design and conservation, striving for the highest standards which will delight present and future generations.