September 2008 – LHC wins RIBA Town & Country 2008 with sustainable building at Bicton

The new Rolle Estate Office at Bicton scoops RIBA Town & Country 2008 for LHC. LHC Director, John Baulch and Senior Project Architect, Andrew Aust were presented with the award at the ceremony on 25 September. The judges considered the Bicton building to be the best Sustainable building in the region.

The Town & Country Design Awards scheme looks at the impact of new and converted buildings in both rural and urban settings and highlights the contributions made by talented architects working within the Wessex and South West regions.

During a rigorous selection process, the RIBA jury judges each building in its setting, considering fitness for purpose, consistency of design, use of materials and whether a building is likely to remain a fine work of architecture throughout and even beyond its full working life. Particular note is taken of the way in which schemes relate to their surroundings.

The opinion of the judges was that the Rolle Estate Office was "a building truly of  'green construction'. The sustainability agenda is well thought out at every scale with examples stretching from the use of a wood chip boiler, and the siting of the building being close to the location of timber sourced from the Grade 1 listed estate parkland. The building is striking and contemporary in design, appearing to emerge out of the surrounding parkland."

Juror Peter Kirkham of regeneration organisation Groundwork South West said "The client's ambition of producing a high quality office building with a focus on sustainability for the future of managing the estate was thoughtful and praiseworthy."

http://www.lhc.net/project.php?id=196&cat=architecture&filter=workplaces