The Judges Pannel

The Judges

A broad mix representing the professions, government departments and agencies, leading residential clients and designers, all individuals dedicated to improving design quality.

Longest Running Awards

There are two streams of awards made each year. About half go to ‘Projects’: these schemes must have detailed planning permission but can be pre-construction, partly completed or partly occupied. Judges do not usually visit schemes entered as a Project but take a view on their potential.

Awards for Completed schemes are made to a Completed development, or to a scheme that is built out as a series of distinct buildings/phases which can be visited in person by the panel of judges. without the need for them to wear any PPE. Completed awards are never made to schemes without judges visiting.

Dan Roberts

Dan Roberts

Good Design is responsive to its context, in both form and function, and gives people joy. The best designs have elements that are translatable and reusable, through time and place; they provide innovation and learning. They create ‘people places’.

Dr Gemma Jerome

Dr Gemma Jerome

Good Design is resilient to change and uncertainty. I want to see places which allow people and wildlife to flourish together, now and long into the future.

Sarah Allan

Sarah Allan

Good design is …
built to last, environmentally friendly, fit for purpose, beautiful and innovative

Sarah Birt

Sarah Birt

Good design is where places make people feel happy to be, and supports people to live, socialise and relax as they choose, in safe and adaptable environments.

Amy Burbidge

Amy Burbidge

Good design is considering how places will function for the people that will use them, making it easy and pleasant to walk to school, providing somewhere peaceful and shaded to chat to neighbours, or thinking about how to make it easy to get the bins in and out.

Lisa Jackson MA, BSc MRTPI

Lisa Jackson MA, BSc MRTPI

Good design will create a positive response for the recipient, sometimes without consciously knowing it

Richard Williams

Richard Williams

Environmentally inclusive – utilising the natural elements and materials to its’ surroundings. Maximising natural elements – e.g. Natural Daylight & Fresh Air
Flexibility & Adaptability – have the foresight to adapt the building for multiple uses in the future. Sustainability is utilising existing building stock, rather than demolishing and rebuilding.
Hearts & Minds – Ensuring the building meets the requirements for its’ occupants – People make places.

Claire Bennie

Claire Bennie

Claire spent 11 years at London housing association Peabody, latterly as Development Director, leading an award-winning programme of 5,000 new build homes.

Dav Bansal

Dav Bansal

Good design is a combination of clear thinking and a strong narrative from the outset, underpinning what is most important for the place and the communities who will be affected by it

David Birkbeck

David Birkbeck

Don’t ever underestimate the value of daylighting, a view (ideally verdant), ample storage

Jane Briginshaw

Jane Briginshaw

Good design means valuing people and making great places for them.

Dr Louise Brooke-Smith OBE, FRICS, MRTPI

Dr Louise Brooke-Smith OBE, FRICS, MRTPI

An intelligent and clever treatment of the built environment that allows me to enjoy my surroundings, whether it's the home I share with my family, or the office I share with my colleagues or the spaces where I spend my spare time

Gareth Capner

Gareth Capner

Good design is all about responding to and, in turn, improving context

Mehban Chowdery

Mehban Chowdery

Good design is

Esther Kurland

Esther Kurland

What is good design? It's how places relate to people, and because of this the definition does not change, nothing much change. As Vitruvius, the ancient roman said, good design is about ensuring places work well, last and look good

Michael Lowndes

Michael Lowndes

For me good housing design is about responding to context and making great places

Kevin McGeough

Kevin McGeough

Good housing design should promote homes which foster opportunities to enjoy a high quality of life for their residents whilst also making a significant contribution to creating great places, encouraging interesting and vibrant streetscapes

David Roberts

David Roberts

Good design demonstrates a deep understanding of locality, creating specialness, identity and enjoyment of the place by residents and neighbours

John Slaughter

John Slaughter

Good design is

Lynne Sullivan OBE

Lynne Sullivan OBE

Following a peripatetic childhood, I was driven to devote my architectural career to creating places and buildings which embody the Vitruvian principles of practicality, resilience and beauty - now acknowledged by the United Nations as being key principles of sustainable development - and qualities which should be present in good design

Atam Verdi

Atam Verdi

Good design qualities are those where aesthetic and function combine well; can be replicated and have longetivity.