Member Article

North East’s most impressive property schemes do battle at RICS awards

Sixty-four of the North East’s most impressive property schemes battled it out at the Civic Centre in Newcastle over the weekend for top honours at the RICS North East Renaissance Awards 2014.

Middlesbrough’s The Gateway was crowned ‘Project of the Year’ at the event hosted by architect George Clarke, best known as presenter of Channel 4’s Restoration Man, who proved a huge hit with the audience of over 400 North East property professionals.

The winners of the eight individual categories were:

Building Conservation: The Witham Redevelopment, Barnard Castle, Co Durham Commercial Property: Trinity Square, Gateshead Community Benefit: The Gateway, Middlesbrough Design Through Innovation: Maggie’s Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne Infrastructure: Littlehaven Promenade and Seawall, South Shields Regeneration: Seaham North Dock, County Durham Residential Property: Castle Court, County Durham Tourism & Leisure: Seaham North Dock, County Durham

The Gateway, Middlesbrough’s recently-opened rehabilitation and care facility for people with neurological injuries or impairments, was named Project of the Year.

The award was presented to the scheme felt by the 13-strong panel of judges to represent the most outstanding example of the region’s property expertise.

Pioneering rehabilitation project, The Gateway, based in Middlehaven, is the first of its kind in the country and provides a new model for people who have suffered neurological injuries. It caters for people with a wide range of neurological conditions, including stroke victims, high dependency patients, ventilators users, those with complex care needs and people with brain or spinal injuries, and is set to help save the NHS millions of pounds while improving patient outcomes.

Aligning with the NHS drive to decrease the time people spend in hospital wards and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and readmissions, The Gateway model provides a blueprint for the future of neuro rehabilitation which Keiro Services, the development’s operator, plans to roll out across the UK.

The judges were impressed the community links the project is starting to form, together with the high quality of design and construction and the attention to detail, from the facilities in the main building through to the specially adapted flats and houses that allow families to live together in the final stage of a client’s rehabilitation.

Chair of the RICS North East Renaissance Awards judging panel, David Furniss, senior director at BNP Paribas Real Estate, Newcastle said: “When choosing project of the year, the Judges are always hoping to see something new and innovative that challenges the status quo and uses the building to facilitate change. The Gateway is a nationally significant project that sets a new standard for care and community benefit.

“This project is a pioneering bridge between the public and private sectors. Its emphasis on collaboration and partnerships are crucial to its success, and it is directly contributing to the regeneration of an area of our region that needs investment.

“The Gateway’s strong community links have already made it a valued asset in the area and we believe this is a model that could be replicated across the country.”

A number of Highly Commended certificates were also awarded by the judges to projects which impressed but were just pipped to the post by the winners.

These were: Coquet Island, Amble (Building Conservation); The Palace Hub, Redcar (Commercial Property); Avondale House, Newcastle upon Tyne (Community Benefit); Durham University Business School, Durham (Design Through Innovation); Metro - All Change Modernisation, Tyne and Wear (Infrastructure); Harton Quays Park, South Shields (Regeneration); and Eston Eco Village, Cleveland (Residential property).

Furthermore, the judges felt Treetops – a private house in Northumberland - which combines 1960s’ domestic architecture with the very latest environmental and design standards, was deserving of a special commendation. They praised the project’s creative thinking, attention to detail, innovation and beauty and noted that it was “a perfect example on how to design and update a classic”.

David Furniss added: “The RICS North East Renaissance Awards are not about architecture, they are about how buildings contribute to the built environment, their community and those that use them. Occasionally we see a scheme which does not meet those parameters, but is exceptional in its own right.

“The creative thinking, attention to detail, innovation and beauty of Treetops left the judges full of admiration, impressed and, frankly, envious. Treetops is a true ‘Grand Design’.”

Winners in four of the categories (Building Conservation, Community Benefit, Design & Innovation and Regeneration) will now automatically be entered into the national RICS Awards, where they will compete against other leading projects from across the UK later this year.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by RICS .