THE
Volume 13. Issue 10. October 2019 Rs. 25/-
INSIDE TRACK CONNECTING THE DESIGN COMMUNITY Now view our web edition at www.theinsidetrack.in
Goldsmith Street project for Norwich City Council made up of almost 100 highly energy-efficient homes. It has been designed by Mikhail Riches with Cathy Hawley. Photo credit: Tim Crocker
T
he Goldsmith Street project in the UK was awarded t h e p re s t i t g i o u s R I B A Stirling Prize. The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The RIBA Stirling Prize is presented to “the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to the evolution of architecture in the past year.” Until 2014 the building could be anywhere in the European Union, but since 2015 has had to be in the UK. Goldsmith Street is an exceptional project that captures the spirit of a very special place. It has been designed by architects Mikhail Riches with Cathy Hawley and has won the 2019 Stirling Prize awarded to the UK’s best new building. The more one absorbs this project, the more this feeling is reinforced. The architects won this scheme of just over a hundred dwellings a dozen years ago, and have worked and re-worked it, each time keeping their aim of creating a highly sustainable community in mind.
Community Living At Its Best The RIBA Stirling Award winner is the
Bringing the reduced energy consumption associated with Passivhaus to mass housing is a great achievement, and one that has taken a large amount of effort and care by the architects
Photo credit: Tim Crocker
Cover Story
“Goldsmith Street is a modest masterpiece. It is high-quality architecture in its purest, most environmentally and socially conscious form. Behind restrained creamy façades are impeccablydetailed, highly sustainable homes - an incredible achievement for a development of this scale. This is proper social housing, over ten years in the making, delivered by an ambitious and thoughtful council. These desirable, spacious, low-energy properties should be the norm for all council housing,” said Julia Barfield who chaired the 2019 RIBA Stirling Prize. Goldsmith Street meets rigorous Passivhaus standards - remarkable for a dense, mass housing development. It is a passive solar scheme, designed to minimise fuel bills for residents: annual energy costs are estimated to be 70% cheaper than for the average household. continued on page 2