RIBA best buildings of the year 2017: "exemplary" west London housing estate wins a top architectural award

The RIBA national award winners are revealed today, and two London social housing projects have been recognised for 'bringing thoughtful and community based affordable housing to the capital'.
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An “exemplary” west London housing estate has won one of the top awards in architecture.

The Silchester Estate in North Kensington was one of 49 projects across the UK to be recognised by the Royal Institute of British Architects as among the best new buildings of the year.

Work on the 112 new homes — 45 for social rent, 39 for shared ownership and 28 for private sale — as well as community and retail spaces was completed last year.

It was commissioned by housing association Peabody in partnership with Kensington & Chelsea council, which has faced ferocious criticism for its housing policy following the fire disaster at Grenfell Tower that left at least 79 dead.

Silchester Estate, designed by Gospel Oak based architects Haworth Tompkins, was one of two social housing projects to be praised by RIBA. The other was Dujardin Mews in Ponders End in north London, the first council-led social housing in Enfield for 40 years.

​RIBA president Jane Duncan said: “The lack of high quality new housing is a huge issue in the UK so I am particularly pleased to see great examples of well designed, sustainable new homes amongst our award winners.

“In London, Silchester and Ponders End are both great examples of estate regeneration bringing thoughtful and community based affordable housing to the capital.

“Sadly though, these projects are exceptions. We all deserve a well-designed, affordable home, wherever we live in the country. I encourage other local authorities, developers and clients to look at these projects as exemplars.”

All the new homes at the Silchester Estate have been designed to be “dual aspect” to increase the levels of light and the estate is “tenure blind” — meaning social affordable properties and those sold to private buyers are mixed in together with little or no difference in appearance.

RIBA judges said: “The brick facades are expressive and skilfully detailed and the new building successfully engages with the existing tower, wrapping it at ground level and providing a new face to the street.”

Other notable winners include Brighton’s British Airways i360 — the world’s first vertical pier and tallest moving observation tower, while the extension to the Tate Modern on London’s Bankside, known as Switch House, was praised or its free rooftop gallery offering a near-panoramic view of the capital.

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