The low-energy Creative Centre at York St John University was the location and subject-matter for the launch of the 2023 York Design Awards, which are now open for entries.
The 3,000m2 flexible learning space won two York Design Awards in 2022 in the sustainability and community/education categories. An audience of property professionals attended the 2023 launch event where the university and their architects Tate+Co, shared their experiences of designing and building the double award-winning and internationally recognised project.
Speakers included Rob Hickey, COO and Nick Coakley, Director, Estates Management & Development at York St John University, Andy Baker-Falkner, Director at Tate+Co, and Andy Davey, Head Judge of York Design Awards.
Jerry Tate, Director at Tate+Co said: “The Creative Centre at YSJU demonstrates that you can provide students with state-of-the-art facilities without sacrificing environmental sustainability. It was important to plug these aspirations into the design from the outset and this is the reason the University chose our practice. They recognised that the only future for the campus is one that puts the needs of students first, while simultaneously supporting greater sustainable initiatives.”
New categories for 2023
The York Design Awards are now in their 15th year and celebrate and promote good design across the city. The categories have been reviewed for 2023. The residential category has been split into single and multiple dwellings rather than by value. A new mixed-use schemes category has been introduced to reflect the nature of recent developments in the city over the past five years. An award for conservation will be made by the judges but will no longer be a category in its own right.
Property developers, housebuilders, architects, building owners and homeowners can enter their projects at www.yorkdesignawards.org before the closing date of 31st March. Judging will take place in May and the awards ceremony will be held in July.
Ann Reid, Chair of York Design Awards said: “We hope that the team from York St John, as previous winners of a York Design Award, will inspire people to enter their own projects this year. The wide choice of categories which include residential, commercial, mixed-use, open space, public realm, and landscaped areas will help to reward large and small design projects which all contribute to the beauty and character of the city.
“We urge the local property and construction community to submit their projects completed in the last five years for independent scrutiny and receive the recognition and reward that good design deserves.”
The judges of the York Design Awards are independent and personally visit each project that enters the awards programme. Chairman of the judging panel is Andy Davey, senior partner at nationally-acclaimed architectural practice Simpson & Brown. His fellow judges are Professor Brian Edwards from the University of Edinburgh; conservation architect Janine Riley; and Nicky Watson, Director of award-winning JDDK Architects in Newcastle.
The awards programme operates with the generous support of a number of sponsors who have a strong association with the city including Shepherd Group and Portakabin, O’Neill Associates, LEDA, York Architectural Association, York Civic Trust, York Conservation Trust, City of York Council, The Partners Group, United By Design, Ravage Productions, Crombie Wilkinson, Fulprint, York Explore, York Press, The University of York, and The Churchill Hotel.
