British Awards Recognize Parks Design Work

Freemantle Community Pavilion at Freemantle Lake Park in Southampton is one of 12 designs by landscape architects and others recognized in December by the British government's Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. The pavilion is the work of artist Pete Codling.

A house that is also a sculpture, a public lavatory, a ticket office, and a park built on top of a bridge are among 12 schemes recognized by CABE, the British government's Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, as among the best examples of park architecture in England and abroad.

Many of the schemes highlighted either use innovative design or have practical usage, whether a new pavilion, a caf????(C) or a visitor's center. In all cases, CABE has applauded the architects, landscape architects and clients involved for their high levels of design and delivery.

The 12 schemes involve a range of budgets, from the large to the small, and are located across England and in Denmark and Japan.

The projects were selected by the commission and a panel of experts-architects, landscape architects, and representatives from the arts, from local government and from the construction industry. Each scheme was judged on design quality, safety and security, physical, economic and social sustainability and community involvement.

?EUR??,,????'??We urge those involved in the creating buildings within our green spaces to push the envelope and produce buildings as good as, or even better, than the ones we have highlighted as being exemplars,?EUR??,,????'?? said Richard Simmons of CABE.

?EUR??,,????'??The argument against having high design standards for parks buildings we usually hear is a lack of resources, but many of these examples have very modest budgets. We would like all organizations and individuals involved in green space creation and management to insist on high quality design and recognize the long-term benefits great buildings can have for local communities and park users. For example, recent research tells us that better designed green spaces can reduce vandalism within them.?EUR??,,????'??

CABE Space will release case studies on all 12 projects on its website www.cabespace.org.uk in Spring 2005.

The 12 buildings chosen by CABE include:

• The National Wildflower Centre, Knowsley, Liverpool
  Purpose: Caf????(C) and offices Architect: Hodder Associates
  Landscape architect: Landscape Projects
• Hyogo Prefecture Lavatories, Osaka, Japan
  Purpose: Public conveniences
  Architect: Shuhei Endo Architect Institute
• Freemantle Community Pavilion, Freemantle Lake Park, Southampton
  Purpose: Pavilion for park visitors
  Artist: Pete Codling with the Freemantle Youth Forum
• The Epicentre, Meanwood Urban Farm, Leeds
  Purpose: Educational and exhibition space
  Architect: OSA Architects
• Peace Pavilion, Wigston Magna, Leicester
  Purpose: Bowling pavilion with amenities
  Architect: Patel Taylor
  Landscape architect and lead consultant: Parklife
• Green Bridge, Mile End Park, London
  Purpose: An inner-city park above a road
  Architect: CZWG Architects
• Temperate House, Jephson Gardens, Leamington Spa
  Purpose: Educational facility and restaurant
  Architect: Architecture PLB
  Landscape architect: Plincke Landscape
• Buckingham Palace Ticket Office, The Mall, London
  Purpose: Temporary ticket booth, disassembled and reconstructed annually
  Architect: Hopkins Architects Ltd
• Trafford Park Ecology Centre, Greater Manchester
  Purpose: Ecology centre and offices
  Architect: HOT Architecture
  Landscape architect: Manchester, Salford & Trafford Groundwork Trust
• Inn the Park Restaurant, St James' Park, London
  Purpose: Restaurant
  Architect: Hopkins Architects Ltd
  Landscape architect: Land Use Consultants
• Yorkshire Sculpture Park Visitor Centre, Wakefield, Yorkshire
  Purpose: Gallery, restaurant, offices and a shop
  Architect: Feilden Clegg Bradley
  Landscape architect: Land Use Consultants
• The Wing House, Egebjergg??EUR??,,??rd, Copenhagen, Denmark
  Purpose: A house that is also a sculpture
  Sculptor: Niels Guttormsen
  Landscape architect: Colom & Gudmand-H??yer