The winner of an international competition to appoint an architect for a flagship housing scheme on a derelict site close to Mansfield town centre has been revealed.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in January launched a competition to find an outstanding design for Mansfield's White Hart Street area on behalf of Mansfield District Council.
There were 36 entries and the competition drew huge interest in Mansfield both nationally and internationally.
Proctor and Matthews Architects have now been announced as winners selected from five finalists after their mixed housing scheme impressed a judging panel comprising council officers, Mansfield Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams and a RIBA advisor.
The other shortlisted teams (in alphabetical order) were:
- Calford Seaden
- Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
- Fraser Brown Mackenna
- Jestico & Whiles
Executive Mayor of Mansfield Andy Abrahams said:
“The overall standard of entries to the competition was phenomenally high and this scheme from Proctor and Matthews stood out as particularly impressive in its quality, cost and in terms of what we as a council were looking to achieve.
The idea to work with RIBA has been a tremendous success resulting in Mansfield being exposed to some of the most talented architects in the UK resulting in the highest quality design for this transformative project.
We can't wait to take the next steps into making the impressions of this new housing into a reality for our tenants. We've had a glimpse of what the scheme will look like from initial artist impressions but there is still much work to do and a more detailed picture will emerge in the coming months.
White Hart Street has been derelict for too long and has failed to attract private sector investment, so it has been crying out for a vision that will breathe new life into this important area of our town centre.
We think we have found in this winning scheme a design that will respect the area’s heritage and provide affordable, energy efficient and future proofed homes that are fit for the 21st Century, and which people of all ages will feel proud to live in.
This scheme is a significant part of our Town Centre Masterplan. Put simply, we want to see our town centre increasingly as a place where people want to live. This will increase footfall and consequently act as a catalyst for external investment."
Teresa Borsuk, RIBA Architect Adviser, said:
“The panel was impressed by the quality, thought and attention to detail expressed in all the submissions. The many ideas presented provoked much discussion and debate, but evidently there can only be one winner.
The winning entry was well considered, achieving a good number and mix of homes; a range of other uses; quality public realm and above all, vitality and spirit.
The panel particularly enjoyed the careful crafting of the proposed masterplan with its interweaving and layering of the many references to the site’s former history.
Mansfield Council is now looking forward to further develop the proposals to ultimately transform White Hart Street regeneration area into a memorable place, with an identity that will help secure and retain its future.”
Once the contract has been awarded, the architects will be working on a detailed design for submission for planning approval subject to the council's approval of a business case for the scheme.
