THE GODALMING TRUST DESIGN AWARDS 2012 · WINNER – BEST OF THE BEST Godalming Leisure Centre,...

THE

GODALMING

TRUST

DESIGN

AWARDS

2012

Godalming Trust Design Awards - 2012

CATEGORY WINNER HIGHLY COMMENDED

BEST OF THE BEST Godalming Leisure Centre, Summers Road

NEW EDUCATIONAL BUILDING

Wharf Street Nursery and Children’s Centre

SPECIAL AWARD Watts Gallery, Compton

ENVIRONMENT The Phillips Memorial Cloister, Borough Road

PUBLIC AMENITY Witley Recycling Centre

NEW BUILD: RESIDENTIAL

39-49 St John’s Street, Farncombe

Tanners Mews, 22 Hare Lane, Farncombe

EXTENSION & ALTERATION TO AN EXISTING RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

Lake Cottage, Rake Manor, Milford

REFURBISHMENT: COMMERCIAL

The Old Forge, Shackstead Lane

RESTAURANT DESIGN & INTERIOR LAYOUT

Piazza Firenze, 28 High Street

TOWN CENTRE AMBIANCE

Café Mila, Angel Court


WINNER – BEST OF THE BEST

Godalming Leisure Centre, Summers Road Godalming’s new Leisure Centre opened on Monday 30 July 2012, replacing and greatly improving on the facilities in the former building which opened in 1974. The Leisure Centre, designed by architects Pozzoni, is a striking modern structure, kept deliberately low on the front facing the private houses opposite in Summers Road. The two storey element, which contains changing rooms, a large air conditioned workout studio with sprung floor and a well equipped gym with over sixty workout stations featuring a range of cardiovascular and resistance equipment.

© Waverley Borough Council

On the ground floor is the six-lane, 25 metre pool, together with a teaching pool, in a floor to ceiling glazed hall, which gives a light and airy atmosphere for the swimmers. Adjacent to the pool is a changing village with cubicles and showers.

© Waverley Borough Council

In the main entrance hall, looking out over the swimming pool, is the reception and café, the latter offering a wide range of hot and cold drinks and snacks together with free Wi-Fi access. The Centre has been designed to be highly energy efficient, with a wood chip bio-mass boiler to heat and warm the building, together with photo voltaic roof panels. Waste water from the swimming pools is stored for use in flushing the toilets.


The attractive lines of the Centre are complimented by the intelligent use of striking materials such as oxidized copper, brickwork and render and timber. On the elevation facing the park, a living ‘green wall’ softens the impact of the building.


WINNER – NEW EDUCATIONAL BUILDING

The Wharf Nursery School and Children’s Centre Provision of a new Wharf Nursery School and Children’s Centre presented two major challenges. Firstly, a very narrow and constrained site and secondly, existing hazardous contamination on that site which had to be eradicated before building could begin. The school is a two-storey building with a single-storey extension. The latter has an environmentally friendly sedum-covered roof, popular with bees and birds as well as adults and children. Within, everything on the ground floor is perfectly scaled for under-fives, with very light wooden furniture throughout.

© Wharf Nursery School and Children’s Centre

Beyond is an outside play area with a detached playroom, an enormous sand pit, and a peaceful garden with native trees. This difficult site has been cleverly developed to include all this with no feeling of crowding.


Sensors monitor air quality, maintaining optimum oxygen levels, producing a wonderfully fresh atmosphere. Lights come on automatically when rooms are entered. Toilet facilities are in stalls, affording little children the privacy adults expect. In addition there is a wet room with nappy changing facilities, including a hydraulic lift to raise the changing mat level. This is particularly helpful for staff dealing with disabled children.


One of the two main class-rooms is transformed at lunch time, when a freshly cooked meal is served. There is an exciting ‘light room’ and a room equipped to help children with special educational needs. Also a family room is provided for the Sure Start sessions, where young families receive help and advice.


The upper-floor, kitchen and other adults-only areas are indicated by red door frames.


WINNER – SPECIAL AWARD

Watts Gallery, Compton

George Frederick Watts OM RA (1817-1904) is now recognised as one of the leading nineteenth century painters, and probably the finest portraitist of his period. His country house, Limnerslease, was just outside Compton and in the early years of the twentieth century he decided to build a gallery for his works which remained in his possession. The Arts and Crafts gallery was designed by a local architect, Christopher Hatton Turner, and opened in April 1904. Lack of funding over many decades meant that by the early years of this century, the gallery was in a parlous state; this was highlighted in the BBC television programme Restoration. Some £11million was then raised for its repair, modernisation and refurbishment which was undertaken by Zombory-Moldovan Moore Architects.

© Watts Gallery

The result has been to restore much of the original colour scheme, greatly complimenting the paintings; to allow daylight into the rooms and to install large sheet glass doors to the sculpture gallery, allowing Watts’s powerful sculpture, Physical Energy to be appreciated by visitors approaching the gallery complex.

© Watts Gallery

© Watts Gallery

The gallery has also introduced an outreach programme that takes and supports art teaching projects in a wide area. There is a staff of ‘artists in residence’ and well equipped studios where learning groups receive tuition. Local schools in Godalming and the Cellar Art Group in Crown Court (that offers art as a therapeutic activity for local people with learning difficulties or who are emotionally stressed), have greatly benefited from the Gallery Outreach Programme.


WINNER – ENVIRONMENT

The Phillips Memorial Cloister, Borough Road The Arts and Crafts grade 2 listed Memorial Cloister was built in 1913, through public subscription, to commemorate the bravery of John (Jack) Phillips, Chief Wireless Telegraphist on the RMS Titanic, who remained at his post when the ship sank on 15 April 1912. It was designed by the local architect Hugh Thackery Turner, a noted exponent of the Arts and Crafts style, and the gardens in and around the Cloister were designed by Gertrude Jekyll, who was responsible for a number of fine gardens in the Godalming area. The Cloister was altered in 1965 when the southern wall, facing the church, was rebuilt as a pergola.

In addition to the restoration of the Cloister structure, the associated Jekyll planting has been recreated. The work was completed in time for the centenary of the sinking of RMS Titanic on 15 April 2012.

The restoration work is part of a five year project covering both the Cloister and The Phillips Memorial Park, funded partly through the Parks for People programme, a joint scheme run by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund.


WINNER – PUBLIC AMENITY

Witley Recycling Centre

The new centre is a very neat and effective development with direct access and car parking adjacent to the location of all the different collection points which are all clearly identified. Access to all collection points is at the level where material is to be placed without the need to climb steps as at the earlier centre. Staff are readily available to help with heavy loads.

The separating into a greater variety of items makes the collection and recycling very much simpler. Collection containers are now provided for such items as Clothing, Textiles, Books and Toys and these are enclosed containers to protect from the weather.

Means of access and exit from the site are now well separated which avoids the traffic congestion experienced at the former site. Vehicle circulation within the site is simple and effective.


WINNER – NEW BUILD: RESIDENTIAL

39-49 St John’s Street, Farncombe Colourful in a quiet way, a terrace of six dwellings that fit comfortably in St John’s Street close by the Parish Church. Set back from the pavement with a dwarf wall creating a small but neat front garden. A simple porch creates a pleasant approach to each dwelling.

The houses are no taller than two storey dwellings in the street but contain three storeys of accommodation by sensible use of the roof space and neat dormer windows. The houses each have three bedrooms, the principal bedroom is on the first floor with en suite facilities and with full bathroom for the household also on that floor. Two further bedrooms are situated on the third floor.

An access road to one side leads to a generous car parking area behind the rear gardens.


HIGHLY COMMENDED – NEW BUILD: RESIDENTIAL

Tanners Mews, 22 Hare Lane, Farncombe Tanners Mews is a development of eleven houses built in traditional English Style, set in a private cul-de-sac. Trees and lawns provide tranquillity, and each house also has a private garden.

The watchword here is quality. The build appears faultless, from the handsome windows to the finials. The interior is beautifully executed, with generously proportioned rooms and superb fixtures and fittings throughout. Energy efficiency is a priority as is security. Attention to detail in this area, as in every aspect of the development, places it way above average.


WINNER – EXTENSION & ALTERATION TO AN EXISTING

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

Lake Cottage, Rake Manor, Milford

Built towards the end of the nineteenth century from a design by Ralph Neville, who also did work on the nearby Rake Court and to which the cottage is curtilage listed. Originally a cottage and stable block, it was later converted to an enlarged single cottage.

The present owner required additional living and bedroom accommodation, together with a total rearrangement of the surrounding garden and paved areas. Francis and Michael Edwards Architects have designed a two storey extension incorporating all the features of the existing Bargate stone cottage but with subtle additional detailing whilst retaining all the characteristics of the ‘West Surrey’ style of the original. A working fireplace has been provided in the new living room. The chimney stack is placed externally and matches exactly the existing one on the other side of the house. Again, the paved areas of geometric patterned brickwork express typical ‘Arts and Crafts’ motifs. At the side of the cottage a low box parterre links the front and rear paved areas.

The architect required a very high standard of workmanship from the outset, particularly regarding the external mortar finish and the contractor has achieved this in all respects.


WINNER – REFURBISHMENT: COMMERCIAL

The Old Forge, Shackstead Lane

Dating from at least the middle of the nineteenth century, the predominant uses since then have been blacksmith and farrier, appropriate uses for premises situated close to the then Portsmouth Road. These uses continued until shortly after the Second World War. Since then the building has been variously unoccupied or with occasional retail use but generally neglected. The present owner has carried out a total refurbishment of the external building fabric retaining all the original features of the elevations.

In contrast to the external appearance, which has remained little changed for more than 150 years, the interior has been transformed by the use of stainless steel, plate glass and contemporary floor and wall finishes. A new first floor has been inserted and the various spaces created have been adapted as a ‘high tech’ digital facility.

© meshdigital

This is a remarkable example of how a neglected building of such antiquity and dating back to a more rural age can be revived to accommodate the requirements of a company performing 21st century cutting edge technology.

© meshdigital


WINNER – RESTAURANT DESIGN & INTERIOR LAYOUT

Piazza Firenze, 28 High Street This light and airy restaurant has been created in a charmingly restored timber framed building next to the Kings Arms and Royal Hotel.

The interior couples modern design with a traditional Tuscan atmosphere, achieved through the use of brickwork and ironwork together with Italianate murals. The kitchen is open plan and diners can see the chefs at work. The tables are set sufficiently apart to provide a degree of privacy, but not so as to detract from the convivial atmosphere.


WINNER - TOWN CENTRE AMBIENCE Café Mila, Angel Court Café Mila is welcoming, relaxing and comfortable, appealing to a broad spectrum of the public from one person contemplating life over a cup of delicious coffee to families/parents taking some time out. And above all where you can enjoy delicious food which is freshly made with care, using local ingredients wherever possible.

© S Shorney

© S Shorney

The external courtyard is decorated with trees in planters, herb beds and comfortable deck chairs with tables. There is also ample space for pushchairs. As you walk into the Café there are a selection of chairs with standard tables or sofas with coffee tables, and a setting to feel that you are having a special treat. Select a magazine available for your perusal or go up the stairs to another seating area which is quieter and overlooks the courtyard.

The staff are always beaming and happy to serve you. With no waiting for your order to be completed, you find a place to sit and your order will be brought to you. The room over the courtyard can cater for private functions and has its own staircase or can be accessed from the Café. This room, primarily created for Yoga, is perfectly designed to focus the mind and body. Central to the room is a calming and stunning hand painted ‘Tree of Life’ mural.

© S Shorney


This site, unused for six years, is a very impressive conversion, starting with Steve Shorney’s vision which evolved and grew with tacit input from customers and the town generally. Luckily for us the builder Bill Stammers was able to appropriate and implement Steve’s vision. The Café only opened in October 2011 and the presentation to Angel Court is inviting, thoughtful and although you would not know but ‘is work in progress’ and is continually evolving with its environs.

THE GODALMING TRUST DESIGN AWARDS 2012 · WINNER – BEST OF THE BEST Godalming Leisure Centre,...

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