The Mail on Sunday
British Homes Awards 2009
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Winning landscape design for BRE Innovation Park is announced

The British Homes Awards in conjunction with BRE and the Landscape Institute are delighted to announce that PRP Landscape Architects have won the BRE Innovation Park Sustainable Landscape Competition. Their winning design will incorporate the existing park with the next phase of its development to create a joined up ‘sustainable community’. The innovative scheme aims to raise the bar in terms of landscape design in the UK.

Mike Gazzard, Director of the British Homes Awards said ‘The PRP designed landscape for the Park creatively addresses the key challenges faced by many housing developments across the UK. It will demonstrate the significant contribution that landscape makes in delivering a sustainable built environment and in meeting the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes. We are delighted to appoint PRP to this important development’.

Key features of the scheme are:

• A ‘streetscape’ that creates a seamless journey through all the key features and buildings in the Park
• A pedestrian-friendly Homezone
• A central open space ‘plaza‘
• A ‘green gym’ community garden
• Imaginative play space for children
• Porous paving to provide sustainable urban drainage combined with geothermal heat transfer paving
• Innovative artwork that gives a sense of place
• Green facades/walls/nesting/habitats
• A swale

PRP’s Richard Hodgetts who created the winning design commented ‘PRP Landscape Architects are delighted to be chosen for this project. Landscape has become a vital component not only in the creation of great places to live, but also in the provision of energy, waste and water management strategies for new developments. We hope that our pioneering approach on the Innovation Park will set new standards in landscape design.’

Paul Lincoln of the Landscape Institute commented: ‘All of the shortlisted schemes demonstrated imaginative and sustainable approaches to the design; the winning scheme also combined current best practice with innovative solutions.’

The competition judges* were hugely impressed with the level of creativity that was applied to the final three shortlisted proposals.

The Phase II expansion of the BRE Innovation Park includes two new sustainable homes and an apartment block with retail outlet which will sit on the edge of the existing park. It will also include two healthcare based refurbishment projects in the existing buildings.

For further information contact Linda McKeown, tel 07772228768, email mckeownl@bre.co.uk

Notes to Editor:

BRE Innovation Park

The BRE Innovation Park features a range of world-leading sustainable homes and buildings that demonstrate diverse and innovative approaches to low impact design and construction. By working in partnership with some of the UK’s principal developers, house builders, architects, designers and manufacturers, the park provides an evidence-based body of knowledge for those working in the built environment about sustainable buildings and communities. www.bre.co.uk/innovationpark

BRE

BRE has been Building a better world for almost 90 years through cutting edge research, consultancy and testing services. Our unrivalled knowledge in regard to sustainability and innovation is now used across the construction industry and in the corporate world creating better buildings, communities and businesses. BRE is part of the BRE Group of companies owned by the BRE Trust, a registered charity. The profits made by BRE go to the BRE Trust and are used to conduct key research projects for the construction sector. www.bre.co.uk

British Homes Awards
The British Homes Awards inspire innovation and are pivotal in providing a catalyst for change in the way we design and build our new homes. Recognising how landscape architecture positively contributes to the creation of sustainable developments, The British Homes Awards now extend their sphere of influence and are proud to align with BRE and The Landscape Institute to champion best practice in landscape design. www.britishhomesawards.com

Landscape Institute

The Landscape Institute is an educational charity and chartered body responsible for protecting, conserving and enhancing the natural and built environment for the benefit of the public. It champions well-designed and well-managed urban and rural landscape. The Institute’s accreditation and professional procedures ensure that the designers, managers and scientists who make up the landscape architecture profession work to the highest standards. Its advocacy and education programmes promote the landscape architecture profession as one which focuses on design, environment and community in order to inspire great places where people want to live, work and visit. www.landscapeinstitute.org

The Judging Panel

• Paul Lincoln, Director of Policy and Communications, The Landscape Institute (Observer)
• Mike Gazzard, Director, British Homes Awards
• Peter Wilder, Partner, MacFarlane Wilder
• Gideon Amos, Chief Executive, Town and Country Planning Association
• Douglas Duany, The Princes Foundation for the Built Environment
• Martin Wyatt, Chairman, BRE
  Jaya Skandamoorthy, Director, BRE
• Nick Corker, Principal Landscape Consultant, BRE

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