THIRTY-four new buildings and property schemes are set to battle it out for the Project of the Year title after making it on to the shortlist of the 2013 RICS West Midlands Awards.
RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) has included entries from all areas of the region in a slight increase on last year’s shortlist of 32 nominations, all in with a chance of winning one of eight awards.
The categories are Regeneration, Community Benefit, Building Conservation, Design and Innovation, Infrastructure, Tourism and Leisure and Residential.
An eighth award - the title of Project of the Year - is given to the entry judged to have scored the highest across all seven categories. In 2012, it went to The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, which also won the Design and Innovation award.
A variety of property schemes of all sizes, from small-scale, through to multi-million pound developments, have made it on to the shortlist.
Examples include a new 63-home "retirement complex" built as a resource for all in the community, the restoration of two Worcestershire canals that represent a slice of history from the Industrial Revolution and the design and build of one of the largest prisons in England.
RICS North and Midlands Director, Jennifer Welch, said: “We were a little concerned entries may be down this year as the challenging economic conditions have stalled many projects across the region, so we were pleasantly surprised to receive an increase in the number of nominations.
“Many of the projects that have made the shortlist are also of an exceptional and exemplary standard so I expect the panel will find the judging process extremely tough.”
The second round of the judging process is currently taking place and the winners will be announced during a ceremony on May 1 at The National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.
The winners of the Regeneration, Community Benefit, Building Conservation, Design and Innovation categories will be entered into the national RICS Awards Grand Final, to be held in London later this year.
Awards Shortlist:
Building Conservation:
The Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre Redevelopment, Birmingham
Astley Castle, Warwickshire
Stoneleigh Abbey, Warwickshire
Community Benefit:
William Lench Court, Birmingham
TCT Birmingham
The Bert Williams Leisure Centre, Bilston
Bromsgrove School
Marie Curie Hospice, Solihull
Sparkbrook Community Hub, Birmingham
HMP Oakwood, Wolverhampton
Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, Shrewsbury
Design and Innovation:
Bromsgrove School
Learning Centre - Birmingham University
Air Traffic Control Facility, Birmingham Airport
The Hive, Worcester
HMP Oakwood, Wolverhampton
TCT Birmingham
St Georges Park, Burton
Infrastructure:
Eastside City Park, Birmingham
Droitwich Canals Restoration
Air Traffic Control Facility, Birmingham Airport
The Performance Hub - University of Wolverhampton, Walsall Campus
HMP Oakwood, Wolverhampton
Regeneration:
Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, Shrewsbury
Eastside City Park, Birmingham
Droitwich Canals Restoration
Riverbank Building, Stafford College, Staffordshire
Residential:
William Lench Court, Birmingham
Bluebell Views Student Residences, Coventry
Refurbishment to Russell House, Sandwell
Tourism and Leisure:
Droitwich Canals Restoration
The Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre Redevelopment, Birmingham
The Bert Williams Leisure Centre, Bilston
St Georges Park, Burton
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