Bath architecture firm Aaron Evans has won a regional ‘building excellence’ award for a pair of cottages in Newton St Loe – the first family homes to be built in the village since 1949.
The design topped the Best Small New Housing Development category in the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) West of England Building Exce
llence Awards. Earlier this year the scheme won the Bath & North East Somerset Council Design Quality Award.
Built for the Duchy of Cornwall by Biggs Contractors using local lias stone, the three-bedroomed cottages are designed as a pair of curved, semi-detached thatched houses. Their elevated position in the historic estate village gives them far-reaching views.
Project director at Aaron Evans, Kevin Murphy, said: “We were delighted that to see our work recognised at both local and regional levels.
“As a practice we always seek to deliver an exemplary standard of design whether traditional or contemporary in nature and value the appreciation of our clients and the public alike. We endeavour to apply the same attention to detail to all our projects, be they large or small, and it is a testament to Biggs, their site management team and their specialist trades that we have been able to deliver a lasting addition to this historic village.”
The scheme now goes forward to the finals of National Building Excellence LABC Awards to be held in London in November.
While on site with the Newton St Loe cottages, Kevin was also negotiating the detailed planning and listed building consent for the new casino, hotel and restaurant development in Saw Close, Bath.
Both projects draw upon the firm’s many years of experience and unique approach working in a World Heritage Site.
Founded in 1978 by the late Aaron Evans, the practice has also worked on Seven Dials, the Building of Bath Museum, the Music and Performing Arts building at Bath College and the Kingsmead Leisure complex.
More recently it completed the award-winning restoration of John Wood the Elder’s Grade I listed almshouses for St John’s Hospital, where it secured listed building consent to install double glazing.
Other recent projects in Bath include the mixed use conversion of the former Duck, Son & Pinker store and the conversion of Bluecoat House, Saw Close, into a new restaurant and apartments.
