Top building awards launched

Oct 19 2007 By Graeme King, The Journal

SO what does it really take to win one of our Landmark Awards? With just over three weeks left for entrants to complete applications, we look at the buildings which have triumphed in the top category in the past few years and what was said about them.

The awards, presented in conjunction with law firm Watson Burton, have recognised some of the most high profile buildings in the region. Last year saw Northumbria University’s City Campus East triumph, with the judges referring to the project’s “visually stunning” buildings which have “pushed back the boundaries of sustainable design”.

In 2006, our overall winner was the Rivergreen Centre at Aykley Heads in Durham, and the judges praised the building for “considering the environment at every turn” while still producing “an extremely high quality office building”.

The year before brought another prominent winner – The Sage Gateshead – and the praise could not have been greater. Our esteemed panel praised the building for nothing less than “changing the face of Gateshead Quayside and the North East”.

As ever this year, for each category there will be one winner, with the architect, developer and contractor for the winning project each receiving an award.

The winners will be presented with their prizes at a dinner and awards ceremony at the Newcastle Marriott Hotel at Gosforth Park, on Thursday, October 16.

The Journal Landmark Awards aim to spotlight initiatives and developments which represent the very best in concept, design and construction. Submissions will have enhanced the region and the lives of those in the North East. These awards will be independently judged by an experienced panel.

The award categories are retail/leisure; office development; environmental; public sector; residential development; and the Judges’ Gem for smaller schemes which cost less than £2.5m to develop.

The awards are open to companies building within the circulation area of The Journal or Evening Gazette. All projects entered will have been completed between August 13, 2007, and August 13, 2008.

Turn the page for more on the Landmark Awards.