UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 14 DECEMBER 2020
A team of MA Architecture students have been awarded second place in the Philip Webb Award presented by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). The team - made up of Bekkii Chim, Shannon Ciriaco, Frances Lacey, Annabel Linch, Huma Mahmood, Lechelle Ndlovu and James Timmins – put forward one of just seven proposals shortlisted for the award from a record-breaking number of entries.
Tutored by Michael Dring and Katriona Byrne, the team worked alongside Donald Insall Architects, specialists in conservation practice, on their restoration project of Moseley Road Baths in Balsall Heath. Read more about their project here.
Speaking on behalf of the team, Bekkii Chim said: “It is an honour to have been awarded second place in this year’s Philip Webb Award and we would like to thank the judges for thinking so highly of our scheme. This project has given us a greater appreciation for the conservation effort and opened our eyes to the vast potential that old buildings can have if given the right care and consideration. We would like to thank SPAB once again for this wonderful prize and we will be taking the advice and experience from the competition with us into our future careers.”
The judges praised the proposal for its sensitive approach to conserving the existing building whilst exploring exciting options for refurbishment, upgrading and extensions at the Moseley Road Baths site, enabling its continued use for public swimming but also converting parts of the complex for a variety of other community uses.
Donald Insall Architects were able to give the students hands-on experience of conservation work and congratulated the team on their success: “Donald Insall Associates is delighted that the team we tutored have been awarded second place in this prestigious competition. The Philip Webb Award supports design which very much reflects our own belief as a practice that buildings are ‘living’ and that both change and considered conservation are desirable. The students worked exceptionally hard and we were genuinely astounded by the quality and maturity of the work they produced.”
For second place, the students were presented with a £500 prize which they have agreed to donate to Moseley Road Baths to help them continue providing a valuable service to their community.
Congratulations from all at Birmingham School of Architecture and Design!