The five shortlisted schemes in the Dwelling category this year were all considered to have recognised and attended to their contexts and locations well, with signs of also having taken on board emerging challenges for a post-COVID London, such as creating environments that cope well with working from home. It was felt that this topic will be an even bigger consideration in the awards regime next year, as we all find ways of safe working, along with design and build for this scale of housing.
Other factors included the pervasive use of brick, schemes which recognised the importance of outside space, prototyping, the reuse of small redundant city sites that are plentiful across London, such as lock-up garages, or shops, and, as ever, an important, close attention paid to environmental performance, sustainability and climate change issues.
QUOTES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL JURY
Benjamin Prosky ‘I was very taken with Angle house really because it just hugs its site so beautifully. It’s a small space that seems like it would be really enjoyable place to live in and not feel cramped’.
Peter Murray: ‘Clearly, small sites are a big issue in London of how you maximise the use of land. There are lots of small and tricky sites which architects and schemes like the Angle House can fit stylish accommodation into quite difficult sites’
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