Harlow Civic Society Chairman Stan Newens presented the trophies to the first winners of the Harlow Architectural Design Awards at the brand-new pavilion of Harlow Cricket Club, which this year staged the Civic Society’s annual general meeting.
Deputy Chair Cllr Sue Livings received the award on behalf of Harlow Council for the Residential Category Winner; Orchard Croft; Numbers 3-12 & 161-165. The design for this elegant crescent near The Stow was by Harlow Design Group, then part of the Harlow Development Corporation, the precursor of the council. None other than Sir Frederick Gibberd, the master planner of Harlow, was the principal architect at the time.
Mr Paul Zara, Architect, Director received the award on behalf of Conran and Partners for the Non-Residential Category Winner: The Pearson’s Building. Conran Roche, as the architects were then known, was a partnership between Terence Conran (of Habitat fame) and Fred Roche who, like Frederick Gibberd, was the master planner for a new town, in his case Milton Keynes. The judges felt that the Pearson Building stands out as a masterpiece on Edinburgh Way.
The first awards were for the best buildings in the new town era, as seen by the judges and a public nomination and voting process in which over 500 residents took part.
Paul McLintic, Secretary of Harlow Civic Society, said: “This inaugural competition seems to have struck a real chord with local people – we’re delighted that so many have voted for their favourite buildings in Harlow. Looking ahead, the competition will celebrate the best new buildings completed each year. We hope that these awards will encourage the very best in building design for Harlow’s future development.”