The 13th annual York Design Awards, which recognise the city’s best buildings, will launch at an event attended by more than 150 professionals from the property, architecture, building and development sectors on Wednesday 30th January
Taking place at Temple Hall, York St John University, the launch event’s keynote speaker is Stephen Witherford from Witherford Watson Mann Architects, London. Stephen has led projects for Amnesty International UK’s headquarters, the Bankside Urban Forest, Arts Council England’s North West offices in Manchester, Olympic Legacy Masterplan, Astley Castle, a contemporary almshouse in London, Clare College, Cambridge and The Courtauld Institute of Art. The practice was awarded the 2013 RIBA Stirling Prize for the construction of a contemporary house within the medieval ruins of Astley Castle.
Rebecca Thompson is the newly appointed Chair of the York Design Awards committee, taking over from Janet Hopton MBE who founded the awards in 2006. She says: “We’re delighted to welcome Stephen Witherford as our keynote speaker, who I’m sure will inspire the city’s property professionals to continue to enhance the city’s residential and commercial buildings as well as public and open spaces. The theme of his speech is re-imagining the fragmented city, which is particularly relevant in York where the York Central development is now progressing and will see a fragmented space come together under a new design. We hope to see as many projects as possible being entered into the awards which are independently judged by some of the UK’s top architects.”
The awards programme operates with the generous support of a number of sponsors who have a strong association with the city including Hiscox, Bedern Hall Foundation, CG Building and Restoration, City of York Council, Crombie Wilkinson, Duncan Lomax Photography, Fulprint, Leeds Environmental Design Associates (LEDA), LNER, MLC, O’Neill Associates, Savills, Shepherd Group, The Grand Hotel, The Partners Group, The Press, United By Design, University of York, York Civic Trust, York Conservation Trust, York Explore, York Guild of Building, York St John University.
Application forms and details of how to enter the prestigious awards, which are open to builders, architects, developers and building owners, will be available at www.yorkdesignawards.org. Closing date for entries is 22nd March.
Winners will be announced and presented with their awards at the presentation evening which takes place on Monday 24 June at the University of York’s Ron Cooke Hub.
Book your place for the launch event on 30th January here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/york-design-awards-2019-launch-evening-30-january-2019-tickets-53535530212?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_eid=e8796bf7d6&mc_cid=03f9a45277
or email inspire@yorkdesignawards.org
