Click the image to download this leaflet (600KB PDF) to the default location for downloads on your device.
The Chilterns Buildings
Design Awards
The Chilterns Buildings Design Awards are organised by the Chilterns Conservation Board and the Chiltern Society to encourage the highest possible quality of building design and thus conserve and enhance the character and outstanding natural beauty of the Chiltern Hills.
Entries must relate to buildings within the Chilterns and should be received by 1st March. The Awards Ceremony will be held in June when the overall winners will be presented with a plaque. Entries of high merit will be presented with certificates of commendation.
The expert panel of judges will take careful account of the advice given in The Chilterns Buildings Design Guide, in particular:
- The way the building contributes to the local distinctiveness of the Chilterns and the need to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area
- The way the building relates to the landscape and surrounding buildings
- How the building uses its site
- The way that the issue of sustainability is addressed
- The use of suitable materials
- The use of appropriate hard and soft landscape treatments
Buildings eligible for consideration include:
- Housing
- Public buildings
- Industrial/commercial/farm buildings
- Conversions and extensions of existing buildings
- Engineering structures, e.g. bridges
Details of previous winners are available from the Chilterns Conservation Board.
Terms of entry
1. Entries or nominations are invited from members of the public, from clients, designers,
contractors and local authorities.
2. The scheme should have been completed in the course of the previous three years.
3. The entries must reach the award organisers by 1st March, and the awards will be presented in June at a special awards ceremony.
4. To ensure the judges understand the design, submissions should include a single page design report explaining the context for the scheme and how the issue of local distinctiveness has been addressed as well as site plans, drawings and photographs (at no greater than A4 size). A short-list for judges' visits will be prepared on the basis of the information given.
5. Conversions/extensions should include 'before and after' photographs if possible.
6. Please obtain permission from the owners and occupiers of the buildings for the judges to visit if required, and for the use of photographs.
Information required
- Location of scheme (full postal address please)
- Type of scheme (brief description)
- Owner's name, address and telephone number.
- Proposer's name, address, email address and telephone number.
- Architect's/designer's name, address and telephone number.
- Builder's name, address and telephone number
- Proposer's signature with the current date
Please note that the judges' ruling is final.
The illustrated leaflet, The Chilterns Buildings Design Awards, containing this information is available here (following this link will download a 600KB PDF to the default location for downloads on your device).
Applications
Applications to arrive by 1st March, should be sent to:
Chilterns Buildings Design Awards
The Chiltern Society
White Hill Centre
White Hill
Chesham
Bucks
HP5 1AG
Tel: 01494 771250. Fax: 01494 793745.
For further information visit chilternsaonb.org or call 01844 355507.
Last year's award winners
Click here to see Jenny Habib's report which appeared in Chiltern News. Click again to hide the report.
Chilterns Buildings Design Awards 2011
The thirteenth year of this successful competition, jointly organised by the Chiltern Society and the Chilterns Conservation Board, was definitely a lucky one!
There were fewer entries than last year (only ten) but they were a high standard and an interesting mixture – housing projects, house extensions new and ancient, barn conversions, a very small parish office, a small museum, and a member-built sailing club upgrade.
Two designs were so good that we made them Joint overall Winners. This is unusual and demonstrates the high standard achieved.
Joint Overall Winners
The skilful conversion of Little Green Street Farm, Chorleywood, from a dilapidated group of Victorian agricultural buildings into superb workshops and a large showroom for refurbished Ferrari cars, is delightful.
DK Engineering designed it themselves, using good-quality materials and upgrading the buildings sensitively, thus restoring their original 'model farm' appearance. Particularly charming are the many well-thought-out details, the glazed walkway at high level through the display/storage area for finished cars and the neat and unobtrusive Ferrari signs over the leaded roof lights.
Owners: Mr and Mrs Cottingham, DK Engineering
Designer: James Cottingham, Little Green Street Farm, Chorleywood, Herts.
The extension and renovation of Kingsford, an existing traditional cottage, into a larger home is equally impressive. The building has been adapted inside, upgraded without changing the spirit of the original home, and a completely new and modern extension has been added at the rear.
The junction between the two parts is beautifully executed, with large windows and glass doors flooding the centre of the ground floor with light. The rear elevation is simple and elegant, and the detailing is well done.
Owners: Mr and Mrs Podmore
Architect: Jo Podmore, Kingsford, Speen, Bucks
Builder: Nick Jones and Sons, 63 Copes Shroves, Hazlemere, Bucks.
Highly Commended
This was awarded to Tring Local History Museum, Market Place, Brook Street, Tring, Herts. It's a charming little building in the corner of what was once the farmers' cattle and sheep market. There are still a few of the original metal pens on the edge of the pavement, as a reminder of its history.
The Museum is a clever remake of the old building, maintaining the roof shape, with a new, mostly glass frontage and new interior. Real care, excellent workmanship and an interesting display inside combine to make this a small gem.
Owner: Tring and District Local History and Museum Society
Architect: Robert Tucker Associates, The Market House, Tring, Herts
Builder: NK Building and Renovations, Halton Lane, Wendover, Bucks.
Special Project Award
We gave this to the Aylesbury Sailing Club building at World's End, Weston Turville. It is tucked away beside the reservoir, almost out of sight, and invisible from the main road. Surrounded by trees, it commands a superb view across the water, where the small yachts and dinghies enjoy privacy and silence. I was amazed how many bird songs could be heard there. The club members built the extension and carried out the upgrade themselves, transporting all the materials across the water by boat. The result is a revitalized club building, with new toilets, changing rooms, storage for equipment, a small kitchen and a much enlarged club room – a very commendable effort.
Owners, designers and builders: Aylesbury Sailing Club, World's End Lane, Weston Turville, Bucks.
Other projects
These included the renovation of Frieth Cottage, a Tudor dwelling. There is aesthetic confusion between the old and the new, both inside and out. From the front it appears to be two buildings and internally there are two staircases – the old one narrow and winding, and the new one open and straight, which was probably required to get furniture to the upper floor but has the effect of dividing the house into two eras.
Owner: Sylvia Crowther
Designer: Robert Martin of Henley Renovation
Builder: SJ Beavis, Henley, Oxon.
In the housing complex at Chalfont St Giles some thought has been given to making the area interesting and varied, and there are several different sizes of homes. The residents say they are very happy there. The architectural detailing is strange in some places – filled-in windows seem odd in a new build – but a real effort has been made to create a pleasant environment.
Owner: The Rural Trust
Architect: HFP Architects, Chandos House, Wendover, Bucks.
Our thanks to Chilterns Conservation Board for the pictures.
