Blog

Ok, so I don't normally venture this far into creativity and culture on the blog, but I do read my Architects Journals when they arrive on my desk, I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing pictures and the article covering the development work at my alma mater Nottingham University.

So we have Accordia announced as the winner of the Stirling Prize, and a shock winner it was too, an outside with the bookies, unconventional as it was a series of residential buildings rather than one bold statement.

The judges said of Accordia: 'This is high-density housing at its very best, demonstrating that volume housebuilders can deliver high-quality architecture and that as a result they can improve their own bottom line.

'The whole scheme is about relationships: between architect and developer/contractor/client; between three very different firms of architects; and between private and public external spaces, providing a new model for outside-inside life with interior rooftop spaces, internal courtyards and large semi-public community gardens.'

So it can be done, yes it needs supportive local authorities, yes it needs risk-taking design and a fresh approach to tackle the stifled attitude to house-building we seem to suffer from, but its clear that modern high-density housing projects do not need to look like something from the other side of the Iron Curtain, that can be interesting, they can be bold, they can even be inviting!

So are you interesting in buying an ultra-modern and award winning home? Well they are not cheap, so I hope you sold your shares and sold off that second hand stuff on ebay some months ago because availability right now include 4 bedroom townhouses at 899,950 but for those on a more meagre budget there are still a couple of 1 bedroom apartments, both sporting a balcony of course, from 245,950. Incredibly 80-85% of the properties on the sales sheet are already under offer or have completed. Strikes me there is still the money in Cambridge there has always been, but with the rise of the Science and Technology Parks, and hence IPOs and outside investment, there is also plenty of new money in Cambridge too- and best of luck to it!


Best of the rest?
Certainly it was up against stiff competition. My favourite was actually the redevelopment of Bijlmer Station (pictured right) which has become the trigger for wider regeneration in that area of Amsterdam.

I shall keep my closely guarded interest in culture under wraps for another year- it is back to the daily grind of HIPs and EPCs for me!

Labels: RIBA Stirling Prize 2008 - Accordia is the shock winner