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Peoples Choice Design competition Ascot Business Park has been commended in the People’s Choice Awarda newly introduced category in the RBWM's  Design Awards.  Upton House School in Windsor won by a whisker.

The best of building design was celebrated on Thursday January 20th in the Royal Borough’s 2010 Design Awards, held in Maidenhead Town Hall’s Desborough Suite.

Winners in five categories – new build, renovations or extensions, sustainable design, historic environment/conservation and designed open space and the public realm – received plaques from Cllr Alison Knight, Cabinet Member for Planning and Development. A new award went to the People’s Choice winner, which was selected through public votes.


PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Upton House School, Windsor – this new category attracted more than 300 votes with Upton House’s new purpose-designed nursery school building receiving the most.

Ascot Business Park, (left)  which has transformed the area to the south of Ascot Railway Station, received a commendation for coming a close second.
Royal Borough residents were  invited to vote for their favourite new local building rom a shortlist of four – Click on 'Read More' below to see photos of the other three shortlisted buildings.

Yesterday’s event was attended by ward councillors, the design teams, nominators, and voters in the People’s Choice whose names were drawn to receive tickets to the ceremony. One voter also won a year’s National Trust membership.

The judges, who visited the short-listed schemes before deciding on the winners, were Bob Dulson of Maidenhead Civic Society, Gary Marshall of the Windsor and Eton Society, Philip Tilbury, Chair of the Royal Borough’s Design Review Panel, and Philip Turner of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Cllr Knight said: “We had a great response from the public, local societies, councillors and architects submitting their suggestions and there were many excellent entries.

“The Design Awards Scheme is intended to identify and celebrate the best of recent development throughout the borough. It is particularly important that the Council recognises and promotes good design as this will help raise the standard for future development
.”

The four properties in this part of the competition were:
Ascot Business Park – Has been developed and transformed the area to the south of Ascot Railway Station

44 Old Ferry Drive, Wraysbury – Modern replacement dwelling in a residential area and on the floodplain


Little Upton, Upton House School, Windsor – New purpose-designed nursery school building within the grounds of main school replacing temporary classrooms. The site is within a conservation area

The Odney Club, Cookham
– Redevelopment of former training centre within grounds of Grade ll listed building to provide a new conference centre, linked to converted outbuildings. The site is within a conservation area.


Cllr Alison Knight, lead member for planning and development, said: “New builds, extensions and renovations have the potential to enhance or alter the character of their area, which is why high quality design, appropriate for its location, is so vital.

“Residents are the ones who live every day with the results of planning decisions so it was great to see so many submitting entries in a variety of categories.

“The People’s Choice Award provides another opportunity for residents to have their say on new builds. It will be interesting to compare the results with the judges’ decision!”

Please click on the photo to enlarge it Little Upton, Upton House School, Windsor

Please click on the photo to enlarge it 44 Old Ferry Drive, Wraysbury

Please click on the photo to enlarge it   Odney Club