People’s Choice is launched for National Park’s first Design Awards

September 23, 2019

People are being invited to vote for their favourite design project in the South Downs National Park as part of its first Design Awards.

Sixteen unique projects have been shortlisted for the People’s Choice Award – including a new woodland activity centre, riverside apartments, a converted hospital, a former brewery depot, and a community garden.

The Design Awards were launched earlier this year to celebrate almost a decade of innovative and inspirational projects that have made a standout contribution to the landscape, heritage, built environment and local communities of the National Park.

More than 60 nominations were received from across Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex across the three categories: Residential, Non-Residential, and Conservation. The judging panel, which includes members of the National Park’s Design Review Panel, has shortlisted 12 projects and will be visiting each location over the coming weeks before deciding on a winner for each category.

The last award, The People’s Choice Award, will be decided by the public and the project receiving the most votes in the online poll will be crowned the People’s Choice winner.

People can vote at www.southdowns.gov.uk/planning/south-downs-national-park-design-award/peoples-choice-2019 and voting will close at midnight on October 31.

A special awards ceremony will be held on November 12 at the South Downs Centre in Midhurst, West Sussex.

Tim Slaney, Director of Planning at the South Downs National Park Authority, said: “We launched the National Park’s first Design Awards earlier this year and have been incredibly pleased with the response. I’d like to thank each and every person who took the time to nominate a project.

“Good design can make a real difference to the quality of our local environments and communities and there’s clearly some inspiring work taking place across the National Park. Those shortlisted pay homage to this special landscape and have the highest standards of architectural and landscape design, conservation and sustainability.

“Our judges and the public certainly have a difficult task to pick a winner out of such a high-calibre field.”

The shortlisted projects are:

Alice Holt Visitor Centre, Farnham, Hampshire.
Gilbert White Museum, Selborne, Hampshire.
Buckmore Studios, Petersfield, Hampshire.
Black Cat Barn, Cocking, West Sussex.
Easebourne Community Space, Easebourne, West Sussex.
The Gateway Project, Singleton, West Sussex,
Nithurst Farm, Upperton, West Sussex.
King Edward VII Estate, Easebourne, West Sussex.
Hound Lodge, Goodwood, West Sussex.
Timberyard Lane, Lewes, East Sussex.
The Depot, Lewes, East Sussex.
South Street, Lewes, East Sussex.
The Flint Barns, Rathfinny Wine Estate, East Sussex.
Ditchling Museum, Ditchling, East Sussex.
Follers Manor Gardens, Alfriston, East Sussex.
Brook House Studios, East Chiltington, East Sussex.