New Visitor Facilities for Brockholes Wetland and Woodland Nature Reserve

Result

Winner: Adam Khan Architects

On his win, Adam Khan commented : "This is such a dream project for us: as well as the chance to make a unique, poetic landscape, we're really excited by the potential of the project to make sustainability cross–over into the mainstream - by enticing and delighting, by demonstrating how interesting and how beautiful it could be to rise to the challenges facing us all."

Overview

New visitor facilities for the Brockholes Wetland and Woodland Nature Reserve near Preston in Lancashire.

Description
It is hoped that Brockholes will become a nature conservation site of regional, national and international importance. The vision is to design a suite of visitor facilities for the Brockholes Nature Reserve that will inspire and encourage people to visit the site and engage with the natural world. In addition it is the intention that the facilities at Brockholes will signpost visitors to the range of landscape, recreation and biodiversity assets present in this part of England's Northwest.

The current estimated construction budget of the main visitor facilities is approx ｣4 million to include all interpretation, fitting out and equipment. The project is being funded as part of the region's ｣59 million Newlands land regeneration scheme, Britain's largest ever environmental programme.

The visitor facilities will include a café/restaurant, shop, gallery, education room, conference space and associated facilities, designed to meet the needs of the projected 250,000 visitors a year to the site. The suite also aspires to be a carbon neutral construction, drawing on local resources where possible.

Organization
Lancashire Wildlife Trust

Jury
Catherine Burd (Burd Haward Architects, RIBA Adviser)
Ian Selby (Brockholes Project Manager, Lancashire Wildlife Trust)
Anne Selby (Chief Executive, Lancashire Wildlife Trust)
Heather Emery (NW Development Agency Representative)
Forestry Commission Representative tbc
Environmental Consultant tbc

Competition Type
Two-Stage, anonymous in the first stage

Prize
￡11,000 Total and Design commission

Entry Fee
￡35.00

Entries
Maximum of two A1 panels accompanied by a short report on not more than two A4 sheets

Timetable
Site visit: Wednesday 15 August 2007
Question deadline: Thursday 23 August 2007
Replies to questions: Friday 31 August 2007
Assessment: Wednesday 3 October 2007
Shortlist announced: w/c 8 October 2007
2nd stage presentations Wednesday 31 October 2007
Winner announced November 2007

Official Website
http://www.riba.org/go/RIBA/Also/Competitions_3898.html