Five Designs Worth Celebrating – Says the Guildford Society

Published on: 22 Oct, 2018
Updated on: 24 Oct, 2018

Robin, the Countess of Onslow presents an award to Chris Channell for the restoration of Hitherbury House on Portsmouth Road. Photo – Mike Sleigh

By Sarah Sullivan

The Guildford Society Good Design Awards ceremony was hosted (October 18, 2018) appropriately at the new Barker & Stonehouse store in Ladymead, itself an award winner. The award scheme’s aim is to recognise good standards of design and thereby safeguard Guildford’s architectural standards and heritage.

Attendees mingled before the awards were presented. Photo – Mike Sleigh

The award recipients were introduced by the society’s chairman, Julian Lyon. Each award winner was handed a certificate by Robin, Countess of Onslow and then asked to give a short presentation of their design.

Baker and Stonehouse, Ladymead: presented by Ian Akroyd of NORR Consultants Ltd an architectural firm based in Leeds for the new build furniture store.

The new Barker and Stonehouse store on Ladymead

Ackroyd described how the mono-pitched roof structure fills with natural light and is a far cry from the usual facadism. The attention to detail with the high articulation that accentuates the three-dimensional nature of the design to create ambience was this architects ambition.

Barker & Stonehouse’s vertical green wall

Concerns for climate change extended to the building providing Guildford’s first large-scale vertical green and living wall.

Hitherbury House, Portsmouth Road: Sawkings Norton Architects – presented by Chris Chennell on behalf of the Surrey architects and Quiditty Real Estate for the renovation.

Hitherbury House, a Norman Shaw house on Portsmouth Road, now restored

The good design award was for the extension and restoration of Hitherbury House that now forms seven apartments. The extension is subservient to the main four-storey building which sees the reinstatement of many of the original features such as the chimney stacks the absence of which had denuded this house designed by the renowned Sir Richard Norman Shaw in 1882.

Now brought back to life, it is a building which that has received much care and consideration and attracted considerable admiration. See the dedicated website for an insight into the extent of the transformation of this once neglected building situated on a gateway into Guildford.

Loseley Chapel, St Nicolas Church, High Street – presented by Dr Catherine Ferguson, the historical consultant. The architect for the project was Michael Staff of Nye Saunders plc based in Godalming and in conjunction with the restoration firm Daedalus Conservation who won a Highly Commended at the Guildford Design Awards 2017.

The restored Loseley Chapel, St Nicolas Church, Guildford High Street

One of Guildford’s hidden historical assets the Loseley Chapel is tucked away under the mainly Victorian St Nicolas church on the western bank of the River Wey. It has survived two reconstructions of the church and is now virtually hidden under this second reincarnation dating to 1876.

The Loseley Chapel was constructed and belonged to the original medieval church. It has monuments to the More family of nearby Loseley; here lies William More 1567 with his wife. Nearby is the tomb of Arnold Brocas dating to 1395.

The team representing St Nicolas Church – Dr Catherine Ferguson is in the red jacket. Photo – Mike Sleigh

This underground chapel has been transformed from a damp dumping area to form a “user-friendly” 23 ft square space. “People of Guildford served and the history conserved,” is how the church would like to see the legacy of Margery Spooner put to good use.

5G Innovation Centre – Maxwell Building, University of Surrey – presented by Peter Dudley of Scott Tallon Walker, the Irish architects for the new build.

Peter Dudley – by Sarah Sullivan

A futuristic university structure with high aspirations. Central to this is the Oculus over the impressive lightwell that spills natural light down over the turning staircase. The building is suitably technologically advanced: there is air to air cooling and an emphasis on solar shading to the south elevation with lush planting.

An exciting new building designed to bring together academia and industry to share and develop 5G mobile communications infrastructure that will underpin work and our everyday life in the future.

The architect admitted to the audience at the outset that the long corridor and axis view to the lake was totally coincidental. Something, he said, that has to be seen to be believed. He suggested we all watch YouTube – so here is the link.

YMCA Downslink near Dapdune Wharf: Liam Russell Architects – for the hostel on Wharf Road. Presented by Liam Russell.

This was described by the architects as a counterintuitive building that takes into consideration not just the aspirations of its owners and occupiers, but the needs of its neighbours. It is now a passively intelligent building.

Liam Russell – by Sarah Sullivan

Paul Napthine, head of operations, stated that 32 out of the 34 rooms are filled and providing a much-needed refuge. ‘Belong, contribute and thrive’ is the whole ethos of this Downslink Group and this building now goes long way to helping achieve these goals.

Let us know what you think of the Good Design Awards The Guildford Society say they enjoy feedback – both good and bad.

The Guildford Dragon hopes to follow up this overview with a series of in-depth studies of each of the 2018 Good Design Winners.