Blog | Nominations sought for Wakefield Civic Society's Annual Design Awards

Nominations sought for Wakefield Civic Society's Annual Design Awards

Posted on 22 January 2018 by

Wakefield Civic Society today calls for members of the public, property owners and developers to make their nominations for the Society’s annual design awards.

The Society wants local people to put forward their favourite new developments or refurbishment projects that were completed in 2017 so that a panel of judges can make a decision on which projects should win awards to be presented at the Society’s Annual General Meeting on 19^th April.

Kevin Trickett, president of the Society said: “Every year we look to make awards for the best projects over five categories. Sometimes, the judges decide not to make an award in every category because the quality isn’t there – but then, they sometimes decide that there are so many good projects in a given category that they decide to make two awards! However, we need to get the nominations in first of all.

“We’ve already had some nominations from our members, of course, but we want to ask the general public for their ideas on what the judging panel should consider.”

The five categories that the Society offers awards in are:

1.Best new build or environmental project

2.Best refurbishment project (building or environmental)

3.Best new/replacement shop front

4.Best new/replacement café, bar, or restaurant front

5.Best residential scheme (with 6 or more residential units)

The Society will consider nominations for projects in and around the city centre and surrounding villages but not from other towns within the District as these towns are not covered by the Society.

Mr Trickett said “The Society has been making awards for good design since 1966. Originally, we did them every two years but now we do it annually. With these awards, we try to recognise the most exciting in modern architecture while also capturing some of the very best restorations and refurbishments of heritage buildings. Sometimes, they are controversial but they do prompt a lively debate about what counts as good design!

“Previous winders have included The Hepworth, Wakefield, and the refurbishment of the Cathedral interior. In 2017, awards went to the owners of Qubana Restaurant for the excellent work they did in bringing the old Barclays Bank building back to life and to Urban Quarter, the male grooming parlour in Cross Square.

“But we also recognise environmental projects and we have, for example, given awards to planting schemes at Thornes Park and to urban landscape projects such as the work done by Wakefield Council around the war memorial opposite County Hall.”

Anyone wishing to submit a nomination is asked to email details to the Society at info@wakefieldcivicsociety.org.uk by Wednesday, 31^st January.