Philip Webb Award


THE PHILIP WEBB AWARD 2012

An annual award for Part II students at UK Schools of Architecture

Hear Niall Bird, 2010 Winner, talking about the Philip Webb Award on our youtube slideshow.

Notes for Entrants
Submission procedures & conditions
Application Form
Award Winners

 

SPAB and Philip Webb    

Philip Webb and William Morris were the main founders of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1877. From the start Webb devoted time to teaching young architects the principles and methods of practical conservation. The Society maintains that educational tradition today.
 

Purpose of the Award

To encourage new design in the context of historic buildings and to develop an appreciation of old buildings amongst architectural students, through an understanding of the architectural and historical values of old buildings and the purpose, philosophy and techniques of conservation. 

 

The Brief

The Student (or groups of Students) is to choose an individual building or group of buildings of historic interest in the UK which are subject to decay or neglect. Students are required to produce a scheme which will sympathetically re-vitalise the building or buildings and their setting for existing or appropriate new uses. The scheme should include a significant element of new design. Some local authorities have produced 'Buildings at Risk' Registers, which might be used as the basis for the choice of building.
 

The Prize

A prize of £1000 will be awarded to the winner. A second prize of £500 and a third prize of £100 will also be awarded.
 

Eligible Students

All Students at UK Schools of Architecture who have achieved RIBA Part I and are presently working towards RIBA Part 2 examinations.
 

The Submission

Each Student is requested to submit 2 x A1 size drawings (on card or lightweight board) and a report which should include location and survey drawings of the existing buildings as well as photographs of the building and surrounding environment.  

Judging Criteria

Judges will be looking for:
  • a clear historical and architectural appraisal of the existing buildings through research, measured drawings etc.
  • details of proposed conservation techniques and materials, as well as details of the student's contemporary interventions, clearly showing the relationship between old and new.

Submission Procedures & Conditions

  • Each entry must be accompanied by a completed entry form, available from the SPAB, 37 Spital Square, London E1 6DY.
  • The closing date for entries is no later than 4pm on the Friday 30th NOVEMBER 2012 at the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, 37 Spital Square, London E1 6DY.
  • Entrants must ensure that their name is clearly written on the reverse of each drawing and on the report.
  • Entrants must not write their names, initials or any other distinguising marks on the face side of any submitted material.
  • Please do not send any drawings in glass frames.
  • Photographs must be securely fixed within the report.
  • Models cannot be accepted, but photographs of models can.
  • The SPAB can accept no liability for loss of or damage to submitted material. We suggest students retain copies of all their material.
  • The SPAB reserves the right to publicise entries.
 

Collection of material

2011 entries not required for publication or exhibition must be collected from the SPAB by 5pm on Friday 17th February 2012.  Unfortunately the SPAB has no storage facilities and will have to dispose of material not collected by that date.

2012 entries not required for publication or exhibition must be collected from the SPAB by 5pm on Friday 15th February 2013. 

 
 

Judging

The judging will take place shortly after the date of submission.  The judges are always eminent members of the architectural profession and have included Patty Hopkins, Richard Murphy, John McAslan, Joanna van Heyningen and Giles Downes in the past few years.

In 2011 the judges were Eric Parry, Patrick Dillon of Howarth Tompkins Architects, and Nick Hirst of TP Bennett.
 
 

Application Form

Please download a copy of the application form here: Philip Webb Application Form
 

THE PHILIP WEBB AWARD WINNERS

Philip Webb Award Winners 2010




First Prize went to Niall Bird who is in his final year at Portsmouth University for his scheme for an education and visitor centre at Bursledon Brickworks in Hampshire.  Niall also won the competition in 2009.

Second prize was awarded to Dan Ladyman, a student at Nottingham University, for his Oral History Centre scheme for the Isle of Portland.  The third prize went to Charles Wellingham for his  "Eat Hub Local" project at Gloucester Docks.



Philip Webb Award Winners 2009

First Prize went to Niall Bird from Portsmouth University for his Lido scheme.  Niall's scheme tackled the difficult issue of site access.  He envisaged a much wider range of water sports and other activities taking place on the site, (even ‘burbage plots’ for growing vegetables), to encourage far more people to use it, and extending its use long into the evenings.   His scheme retained the existing buildings, some extended to provide upgraded facilities, but he also proposed several new structures reflecting design features of the Thirties.  The key aspect of Niall’s design, the judges said, was his decision to introduce a series of beacons into each of the new structures fulfilling the most important function of making the site noticeable from further afield  attracting visitors, as well as lighting the site itself.

The second prize went to Darren Furniss, a year 6 student at Westminster for his scheme “Rooms for Music”, a bold and ambitious proposal to extend the C17th Wroclaw Opera House in Poland, recently the subject of an international competition.