27 February 2008
Britain’s largest ‘green scheme’ announces design competition
winner
Adam Khan Architects has won a RIBA design competition to work
on the ‘jewel in the crown’ of Britain’s largest eco-regeneration
scheme, announced the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA)
and Forestry Commission (FC) today [27.2.08].
Khan has designed a visitor facility for Brockholes wetland and
woodland nature reserve in Preston; the 106ha Lancashire Wildlife
Trust site which was purchased in 2006 under the multi million
pound NWDA / FC land regeneration scheme, Newlands.
Khan’s design, entitled “A Floating World”, was selected this
month from a shortlist of five by a judging panel led by design
expert Wayne Hemingway. The panel believed that Khan had
fully embraced the Newlands partnership’s brief to inspire and
encourage people to visit the site and engage with the natural
world, whilst remaining sustainable and maximising local
resources.
The winning concept is based on a cluster of buildings constructed
largely of wood and other sustainable materials, and it resembles
an ancient marshland village. It has been designed as part of
wider plans to regenerate the former quarry site into a premier
visitor attraction of national and international
significance.
Lancashire Wildlife Trust, NWDA and FC will now work together,
and with Adam Khan Architects to explore opportunities to make the
plans for Brockholes become a reality.
Brockholes sits in a key strategic location aside junction 31 of
the M6 motorway. Under Newlands, there are plans to turn Brockholes
into a visitor attraction that will not only be a landmark centre
of excellence for recreation and wildlife, but will also act as a
catalytic driver for economic and social development within the
local area. If developed, Brockholes will also signpost
visitors to the range of landscape, recreation and biodiversity
assets present in this part of England's Northwest.
On announcement of the winner, Peter White, Head of
Infrastructure & Development at the Northwest Regional
Development Agency said:
“This site has the potential to become an important visitor
attraction for the region, building on its rich natural assets and
impressive biodiversity. The Agency is supporting its development
through Newlands, a wide reaching scheme that aims to reclaim
brownfield land and transform it into thriving community open
spaces, and has so far invested £800,000 in Brockholes. The chosen
design will not only create an inspirational open space for the
local community to enjoy but will also enhance a key gateway into
Lancashire and attract further investment into the area. We look
forward to working with our partners to progress these plans.”
In support, Keith Jones, Regional Director of the Forestry
Commission said:
“The Newlands partnership strives to combine quality site design
with cutting edge brownfield remediation. As we work together
to deliver real economic and social benefit through the Newlands
projects, sensitive, responsive and innovative design must be at
the heart of our approach. The Forestry Commission is pleased
to announce Adam Khan Architects as the winner of the Brockholes
design competition and we now look forward to working with Lancs
Wildlife Trust, Adam Khan & NWDA to realise the plans for the
site, and deliver a real transformation of this currently
brownfield, underused space.”
Launched in the summer of 2003, Newlands is now the largest land
regeneration programme in the country – and the foremost of these
to use forestry as the basis for change. Several projects across
the Mersey Belt area of the Northwest region are already being
developed to have direct impact on the local economy and
communities and in 2007, Newlands expanded to cover the whole of
the Northwest region.
Newlands counts high levels of sustainability and design quality
amongst its aims; the Brockholes design competition is just one of
several projects within Newlands that ensure high levels of design
quality, including the development of design ‘visions’ for each new
site.
ends
For all media enquiries, please contact either Claire Rajah or
Faith Ashworth at Creative Concern on 0161 236 0600 / faith@creativeconcern.com
clairer@creativeconcern.com
Notes to Editors:
The Brockholes competition was open and judged anonymously in
the first stage with five teams then selected to give a
presentation to the jury panel in November 2007. Following
these interviews three teams were chosen to attend a final
interview in February with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust and the
commercial partners.
Adam Khan architects were chosen above McDowell + Benedetti
Architects and AY Architects as winners of the competition.
Adam Khan Architects team:
Adam Khan
Timo Keller
Giovanni Petroliti