An electrical substation, built as a key part of the utilities infrastructure in the Olympic Park, has won the award for the best brickwork in Britain.
The external substation, hailed as a great success and an inspired piece of commissioning, beat off hundreds of competitors to take the prestigious Supreme Winner at the 2010 Brick Awards, held at the Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel in London on 3rd November.
The Brick Awards is one of Britain’s most respected design competitions. Organised by the Brick Development Association, the annual contest provides the definitive showcase for what brick can do. This year, there were a record number of entries, with projects from right across the globe.
Bob Allies, Chairman of the Judging Panel and partner, Allies and Morrison, comments: “This remarkable building demonstrates many ways in which brick can be used. The precision and clarity of the expression persuaded the judging panel that it deserved the ‘best of the best’ award. It will provide an enduring legacy on the Olympic site.”
A clear emphasis was put on the architectural designs of the substation to ensure the structure fits in with the design of the wider Olympic Park. The use of more than 130,000 of Ibstock’s Aldridge Himley Ebony Black bricks in the design, also reflects the traditional use of dark brick stock as window and corner details on the former Kings Yard industrial buildings on the site where the new substation has been built.
With sustainability considerations at the heart of the substation design through the reuse of materials from the demolition of the former Kings Yard buildings, the judges were struck by the way the architects, NORD Architecture, managed to reduce the area of a standard substation by a third and within the cost limits.
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and Design for London (DfL) went on to comment further: “We congratulate the client and architects for producing a real piece of architecture out of an everyday brief. We think this is an object lesson in how even relatively minor parts of the Olympic programme can benefit from committed design thinking.”
The substation, designed as part of a number of buildings that form the fabric of the Olympic site itself, was skilfully constructed by brickwork contractor Winchmore Brickwork with as the main contractor
As well as the Supreme Award – the BDA Building of the Year, the Olympic Substation won the category for the Best Public Building.
The judges for 2010 were:
Bob Allies (panel chair): Partner, Allies and Morrison.
Dr Neil Beningfield: Principal, Neil Beningfield and Associates, Chair, UK Mortar Committee.
Dr Peter Bonfield: Chief Executive, BRE.
Michael Hammett: Architect, author and brickwork consultant. Former Senior Architect at the BDA.
Professor John Roberts: Consulting engineer and former Dean of the Faculty of Technology at Kingston University.
Andrew Stroud: Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers.
Deborah Saunt: Partner, DSDHA.
Joanna van Heyningen: Partner, van Heyningen and Haward.
In addition to the Supreme Award, there were 14 category awards, each showing excellence in different aspects of design and construction. The category winners were:
Best Housing Development 1 - 5 Units
Frobisher House, by Duggan Morris Architects. Selected Dark Facings by Freshfield Lane Brickworks were used.
Best Housing Development 6 - 25 Units
Station Grove, Wembley designed by Proctor and Matthews Architects. Westfields Construction used Wienerberger’s Staffordshire Blue Facing Bricks.
Best Housing Development 26+ Units
St Andrew’s Block A (Phase One), London by Allies and Morrison Architects. Contractor Rapid Brickwork Ltd used bricks from Wienerberger and Ibstock.
Volume Housebuilding
Taylor Wimpey, for three developments in Leicester, Bracknell and Milton Keynes, all using bricks made by Ibstock.
Best Public Building (and Supreme Winner)
Olympic Substation, London. Kier Construction used Ibstock’s Aldridge Himley Ebony Black bricks.
Best Commercial Building
Office Building, r, Beds designed by TP Bennett Architects. Specialist Brickwork contractor Irvine Whitlock used Wilnecote Bespoke Blend Amersham Red and Amersham Red Multi bricks from Hanson.
Best Educational Building
Sevenoaks School Performing Arts Centre, Sevenoaks designed by Tim Ronalds Architects. Brickwork contractor Skillbray Ltd used Gloucester Grey handmade bricks by Coleford Brick and Tile Co Ltd for the exterior and Hanson’s Capital Multi Facing bricks for the interior.
Innovative Use of Clay Products
Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Bucks designed by MAAP Architects who specified Hanson’s Red Bank Lockclad system. The brickwork contractor was MPG Facades Ltd.
Best Refurb and Regeneration Project
Queen Anne’s Summerhouse, Shuttleworth Estate near Biggleswade designed by the Whitworth Co Partnership. Simpson Brickwork Conservation Ltd used Mild Clay Rubbers and Blue Clay Rubbers bricks made by Bulmer Brick and Tile Co Ltd.
Best Craftsmanship Project
College Road, Dulwich Village, London desiged by Knox Bhavan Architects. Contractor R Durtnell and Sons used Cotswold Buff bricks from Coleford Brick and Tile Co Ltd.
Best Outdoor Space Project
Corfield Court, St John’s College, Cambidge designed by van Heyningen and Haward Architects and Edward Hutchison Landscape Architects. Contractor Elmswell used Gloucester Grey Handmade Pavers from Coleford Brick and Tile Co Ltd.
Specialist Brickwork Contractor
Irvine Whitlock Ltd for three projects using bricks made by Hanson, Charnwood Forest, Bulmer Brick, Ibstock, and Freshfield Lane Brickworks.
Best International Project
Rathmines Square, Dublin designed by Donnelly Turpin Architects. John Paul Construction used West Hoathley Medium Multi by Ibstock.
Worldwide Brick
A P MØller School, Germany, designed by C F MØller Architects. Contractor Otto Wulff Bauunternehmung GmbH & Co. KG used D70 bricks made by Petersen Tegl A/S.
Entries are now being invited for the 2011 Brick Awards. You can download entry forms from the BDA’s website http://www.brick.org.uk/2011awards or a hard copy can be requested by emailing brick@brick.org.uk or by calling 020 7323 7030.
