RIBA Stirling Prize 2019 goes to Goldsmith Street council housing scheme
Could we in Malta learn from the Goldsmith Street project? Granted that the majority of properties here are apartment style buildings, but there are stil lessons to be learnt. See here for full article by Richard Waite (published 8 October 2019)
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“The 100-home Goldsmith Street development in Norwich by Mikhail Riches with Cathy Hawley has become the first ever council housing scheme to win the RIBA Stirling Prize
On an extraordinary evening for the practice, the ultra-low energy project also took home the inaugural Neave Brown award, launched this year in honour of the late US architect’s pioneering social housing work.
The Stirling Prize jury praised the £14.7 million Norwich City Council-backed development as ‘a modest masterpiece’. It had been both the bookmakers’ ‘red hot favourite’ and the AJ readers’ choice to win the UK’s best new building award.
Jury chair Julia Barfield, said: ‘[Goldsmith Street] is high-quality architecture in its purest most environmentally and socially conscious form. Behind restrained creamy façades are impeccably detailed, highly sustainable homes – an incredible achievement for a development of this scale. This is proper social housing, over 10 years in the making, delivered by an ambitious and thoughtful council. These desirable, spacious, low-energy properties should be the norm for all council housing.’
She added: ‘Over a quarter of the site is communal space – evidence of the generosity of the scheme. A secure alleyway connects neighbours at the bottom of their garden fences, and a lushly planted communal area runs through the estate, providing an inviting place for residents to gather and children to play, fostering strong community engagement and social cohesion.
‘Goldsmith Street is a ground-breaking project and an outstanding contribution to British architecture.’
The scheme, which the east London-based practice landed following an RIBA competition in 2009, was chosen from an eclectic six-strong list of finalists. It was the first time the firm had been on the shortlist.
It is only the second time any kind of housing has won the Stirling Prize since it was launched in 1996. The previous occasion was the Accordia housing development in Cambridge in 2008.
Goldsmith Street was designed to meet rigorous Passivhaus environmental standards – a requirement demanded by the local authority client.
The low levels of energy needed to heat the homes at Goldsmith Street means annual fuel costs are estimated to be about £162 – 70 per cent cheaper than the average household’s bill.
To maximise solar gain, all the homes face south and every wall is more than 600mm thick. The roofs are angled at 15 degrees to ensure each terrace does not block sunlight from homes in the street behind.
The jury, which included RIBA president Alan Jones, Foster + Partners’ Michael Jones, lay assessor Kathy Gee and sustainability adviser Gary Clark, was also impressed by ‘meticulously considered’ details, such as letterboxes built into external porches, rather than the front doors, to reduce any possibility of draughts; and perforated aluminium brise-soleils which provide sunshades above the windows and doors.
Jones added: ‘Faced with a global climate emergency, the worst housing crisis for generations and crippling local authority cuts, Goldsmith Street is a beacon of hope.
’It is commended not just as a transformative social housing scheme and eco-development, but a pioneering exemplar for other local authorities to follow.’
The news was announced at the Roundhouse in Camden, London tonight (8 October).