Design South West

RIBA Town and Country Design Awards 2008

The award scheme looks at the impact of new and converted buildings in both rural and urban settings and aims to highlight the contributions made by talented architects who are working within the Wessex and South West Regions or the Channel Islands.

See more information and booking form here.

Published Mar 20, 2008 - 01:21 PM
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South West Built Environment Awards 2008

Following the inaugural success of both the regional and national awards in 2007, this is the second year of the Constructing Excellence Awards.  

This year eight regions will be hosting regional awards' ceremonies to celebrate the best of construction from their local industries. The winners from within each region will go forward to a national final on 30th October 2008 in London.

Published Jan 30, 2008 - 11:12 AM
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Review of South West Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) Suggests Housing Numbers Increase

The independent panel which looked at the South West draft regional plan has recommended a significant increase in housing for the whole region, increasing the annual rate of new homes from 23,060 per year in the draft RSS to 28,000.

To see the full report visit the Regional Assembly's web site here.

Published Jan 11, 2008 - 09:33 AM
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Urban Design Compendium

English Partnerships (the national regeneration agency) has recently published an update to their Urban Design Compendium.

Published Dec 12, 2007 - 12:31 PM
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CABE Space design skills scholarships launched

On 1 October 2007 CABE launched a new design skills scholarships programme.  It offers grants to fund a work or study trip and the deadline for applications is end of November 2007.

Published Oct 11, 2007 - 02:48 PM
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New Heritage Qualification Launched - NVQ in Heritage Skills

A new NVQ Level 3 in Heritage Skills has been launched as part of a package of measures to address the skills crisis in the built heritage sector.  Thousands of new recruits are needed annually in order to meet the high level of demand for traditional heritage skills used in the repair and conservation of historic buildings.

Follow the link for further details:

Published Sep 03, 2007 - 11:39 AM
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Guide to Maximising Regeneration Funding

The British Property Federation (BPF) has recently published a new guide for developers on how to take advantage of public sector funding for regeneration schemes.

Published Jun 18, 2007 - 03:17 PM
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Expressions of interest invited to build 150 homes in Bristol.

Housebuilders were invited to submit expressions of interest to build England's first large scale development of zero carbon homes today, as national regeneration agency English Partnerships published its pre-qualifying questionnaire (PQQ) for a 150 home site in Bristol.

For the full text of this story, please see the press release entitled "English Partnerships fires starting gun in race to develop England's first zero carbon communities" on the English Partnerships website.

Published Jun 05, 2007 - 03:57 PM
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BURA AWARDS FOR BEST PRACTICE IN REGENERATION 2007 Open for entries

Do you know a project that represents best practice in regeneration?The BURA Awards embrace diversity, recognising projects across the UK on a variety of scales and celebrating the enormous range of people and organisations involved in regeneration. Our independent awards, established in 1992, help to define excellence in regeneration.

Anyone from any sector can submit an entry.

Published May 22, 2007 - 03:28 PM
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EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - GLOUCESTERSHIRE QUALITY DESIGN INITIATIVE

Gloucestershire County Council invite expressions of interest from innovative consultants with experience of public art practice and culture in relation to the built environment to test, develop and action a series of targets which aim to improve public realm design in Gloucestershire.

Published May 10, 2007 - 11:30 AM
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Bristol Urban Design Forum

Bristol City Council has commissioned The Architecture Centre to set up an Urban Design Forum for Bristol.

Published May 10, 2007 - 11:12 AM
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Expression of Interest for Design Services, Greenway Project

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) intends to select a landscape or urban design practice from five short-listed practices in response to advertisements placed in the trade press in February 2006.

Published Feb 12, 2007 - 01:48 PM
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Creating Excellence is Helping the Region to Address Housing Audit Design Issues

In the light of today's announcement of the results of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment's (CABE) South West Housing Audit Creating Excellence, the South West centre for sustainable communities is highlighting the opportunities recently developed, and now available in the region, for people to help improve leadership, skills and guidance on design for the built environment.

Published Feb 08, 2007 - 10:45 AM
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Housing Associations Encourage Design Champions

Design South West has worked with Spinnaker Housing Group to produce, 'our design, your inspiration', a brochure to encourage more people in Housing Associations to become Design Champions.

The six page document explains what Design Champions do and how their work can benefit their organisations and the wider environment in which we all live.

Published Sep 18, 2006 - 10:05 AM
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Sustainable Professional Development

The Nationally renowned Genesis Centre in Taunton, Somerset is currently one of the best venues in the country to see and learn about the integration of natural, low impact, materials into the mainstream construction environment. The Centre, in one building, demonstrates the use of straw bale, rammed earth, cob, earth blocks, timber frame and fired clay block construction along with the use of both traditional and modern approaches to Lime.

Published Aug 18, 2006 - 11:52 AM
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South West Checklist for Sustainable Development - Consultation Launch

Future Foundations, WWF-UK and BRE have launched a consultation on the draft ‘South West Sustainability Checklist for Developments’. The Checklist is a tool designed to help developers and planners in creating more sustainable communities and covers a broad range of planning and development issues from Climate Change, Transport, Ecology, Resources, Placemaking, Business, Community and Buildings.

Published May 24, 2006 - 02:33 PM
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People Would Pay More for Energy Efficient Homes

Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of adults in Britain say they would pay more for an energy-efficient home, according to a study by Wolseley UK, the largest distributor of plumbing, heating and building products in Britain.  Despite a stagnant housing market and slow consumer spending, the research reveals that almost a quarter of adults (24 per cent) would be prepared to pay between £1,000 and £5,000 on top of the property’s asking price for an energy-efficient home.  Over one in 10 (11 per cent) would be happy to pay up to £10,000 more.

Published Mar 28, 2006 - 09:07 AM
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Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award - deadline 20 April

The Prime Minister's Better Public Building Award is now in its sixth year.  The award, which is jointly sponsored by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and the Office for Government Commerce, recognises both design and procurement excellence in building projects from across the public sector.

Published Mar 27, 2006 - 09:36 AM
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Design and Historic Environment Champions

Creating Excellence and the Architecture Centre, supported by CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) and English Heritage, are working together to develop a support network for Design and Historic Environment Champions in local authorities, development partnerships, and urban regeneration companies across the South West Region, as part of our effort to raise design quality and share best practice.

Published Mar 21, 2006 - 12:16 PM
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Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment, Part-time Masters

The University of Cambridge has announced that it is looking to expand its Part-time Masters Programme in Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment (IDBE) following the largest intake of students in the course's history last year.

Published Mar 20, 2006 - 12:14 PM
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