Chilterns Buildings Design Awards 2019 announced

A beautiful new River Thames Footbridge at Taplow, and Incurvo – a stunning, virtually carbon neutral house in South Oxfordshire – have been named joint winners in the Chilterns Building Design Awards 2019.

The awards, run jointly by the Chilterns Conservation Board and The Chiltern Society, celebrate design and construction projects that leave a positive mark on the Chilterns for us and future generations to enjoy.

The Chilterns Conservation Board and Chiltern Society named the 2019 award winners at the 19th Building Design Awards ceremony on Wednesday, June 19, at the winning house, Incurvo, in South Oxfordshire. Tom Beeston, the Chief Officer of the Chiltern Society, and Elizabeth Wilson, Chair of the Planning Committee of the Chilterns Conservation Board, presented the awards.

The Chair of the Judges was Dr James Moir. He described the features of the footbridge which won the judges over: “The River Thames footbridge, designed by specialist bridge designers Knight Architects of High Wycombe, is an elegant and delightful new addition to the Thames riverside. Drawing inspiration from Brunel’s nearby Maidenhead Railway Bridge, this 35m single-span bridge has sweeping twin arcs of triangular section steel cradling the deck. Linking the regenerated and previously unconnected Taplow Paper Mill quarter to Ray Mill Island, the bridge unlocks a new tranquil walking route to the Thames Path. This light-touch intervention appears to have been effortlessly dropped into this location, opening up great views of the riverscape and creating a new and fully accessible recreational amenity.”

About the house, James said: “Incurvo, as its name suggests, is a graceful, sinuous new residence that delights the eye whichever point it is viewed from. The sculptural design by Adrian James Architects of Oxford connects beautifully with its surroundings. The imposing entrance and stair-hall rises through two storeys with rooms flowing off this and thence through two storey-height glazing to the outside. Cleverly sited on an irregular contoured plot at the edge of Goring-on-Thames, the elegantly crafted landscaped gardens respond intimately to the sinuous curves of the house, and blend seamlessly into the Chilterns countryside beyond. The warm, red handmade bricks have been masterfully laid to create curved walls and are complemented by vertical charcoal zinc panels. Concealed energy-saving measures mean the house is virtually carbon neutral.”

In a statement announcing the awards, the award sponsors said: “The Chiltern Buildings Design Awards is a prestigious biennial awards program in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, recognising and encouraging great examples of design and construction based on the principles in the Chilterns Buildings Design Guide. With development pressures greater than ever in the Chilterns AONB, it is a great opportunity to showcase the very best projects.

“Through the 2019 competition a wide variety of 19 entrants were considered for the accolade including; new buildings, restorations, extensions, conversions and one civil engineering project. Winners were carefully selected by an expert panel of six judges working in the field of architecture and planning, all who took careful account of the advice given in the Chilterns Buildings Design Guide.”

For more information on the Chilterns Buildings Design Awards, please visit: www.chilternsaonb.org/conservation-board/planning-development/annual-design-awards   Applications for the 2021 awards will open in December 2020.