Wooda wins the RIBAs Stephen Lawrence Prize

Date:

06 October 2007

Press office contact:

Lorna Gemmell
T: +44 (0)207 307 3761
E: lorna.gemmell@riba.org

Wooda in Cornwall - a flexible arts space comprising a drama-space barn, a small stone shed, and an artist's studio by David Sheppard Architects - has won the Stephen Lawrence Prize sponsored by the Marco Goldschmied Foundation. The announcement was made on Saturday 6 October at a special awards ceremony for the RIBA Stirling Prize in association with The Architects' Journal at the Roundhouse in London.

The Stephen Lawrence Prize is sponsored by the Marco Goldschmied Foundation and rewards the best examples of projects with a construction budget of less than

£1 million. This is the tenth year that the award, named in memory of the murdered black teenager who planned to become an architect, has been given.

Wooda was conceived as a place to hold a variety of art and performance events. The resulting small architectural complex is an elegantly understated group of three pavilions strung along a wide track nestled into a dramatic cut in the farm hillside; it comprises a drama-space barn, a small stone shed, and an artist's studio.

Marco Goldschmied and Doreen Lawrence presented David Sheppard with a trophy and a cheque for £5,000 on behalf of the Marco Goldschmied Foundation. The foundation also funds a £10,000 bursary to help train young black architects.

The Stephen Lawrence Prize judges – Marco Goldschmied and Doreen Lawrence said:

"Wooda is an outstanding example of the conversion of a small group of existing outbuildings for community use. Set deep in the North Cornish countryside it epitomises the architect's ingenuity in using two modest barns to create a versatile mini-campus capable of serving as conference space/artist's studios/dance studio and auditorium whilst enhancing the character and feel of the original farm buildings."

The winner beat strong competition from four other contenders:

Focus House, London by Bere:architects
Kander House, London by Jamie Fobert Architects
The Singing Ringing Tree, Burnley by Tonkin Liu
The Terrace, London by David Mikhail Architects

-ends-

Notes to editors

1. For images and further information please contact Lorna Gemmell in the RIBA Press Office 020 7307 3761 or lorna.gemmell@inst.riba.org|

2. The full building citation follows:

Wooda

Crackington Haven, Cornwall

Architect: David Sheppard Architects

Client: Max Burrows

Structural engineer: Structural Solutions

Contractor: Martin Bakewell

Contract value: £150,000

Date of completion: July 2006

Gross internal area: 90 square metres

Wooda is an unusual exercise in small-scale architecture. It was conceived as a place to hold a variety of art and performance-culture events, described by the actor client as "creative and environmental discovery". The resulting small architectural complex is an elegantly understated group of three pavilions strung along a wide track nestled into a dramatic cut in the farm hillside; it comprises a drama-space barn, a small stone shed, and an artist's studio.

Wooda is an outstanding example of the conversion of a small group of existing outbuildings for community use. Set deep in the North Cornish countryside it epitomises the architect's ingenuity in using two modest barns to create a versatile mini-campus capable of serving as conference space/artist's studios/dance studio and auditorium whilst enhancing the character and feel of the original farm buildings.

The barn has been converted into a tiny but highly adaptable theatre, office, reception and greenroom. The seating is contoured like the hills around the farm. The second main building is a timber structure, whose overgrown turf roof is an extension of the meadow above.

The ingenious, charmingly 'Heath Robinson', counterweighted tiered seating, running on industrial sliding door gear, enables the auditorium to be set up in a few minutes and epitomises the architect's approach to the problem. When not in use this disappears into the floor allowing the whole building to be used as a single volume.

The original barn doors are replaced by a generous, technically ambitious single pivoting door which successfully links the main space to the outside area when weather permits. It is the single extravagant gesture in a project built on a very tight budget which has been embraced enthusiastically by the local community it serves.

The success of this quirky project is a testament to the deep engagement of the client, a commitment to sustainability, and the interpretation of an idiosyncratic cultural brief.

3. The Marco Goldschmied Foundation, established by former RIBA President
Marco Goldschmied, supports the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and in particular its bursary programme. The winning architect of the Stephen Lawrence Prize receives a cheque for £5,000. A further £10,000 funds a bursary to help train young black architects, making this the second most valuable RIBA award.

4. Previous winners of the Stephen Lawrence Prize sponsored by the
Marco Goldschmied Foundation include Wrap House by Alison Brooks Architects, a house at Clonakilty, in Cork, by Niall McLaughlin Architects; Vista, Dungeness by Simon Conder Associates; Think Tank, Cork, by Gumuchdjian Architects; and The Cardboard Building, Westborough Primary School, Westcliff-on-Sea by Cottrell + Vermeulen Architecture.

5. The RIBA Stirling Prize in association with The Architects' Journal is the UK's most prestigious architectural prize and is awarded annually to the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year. Winners must be RIBA Members and the building may be anywhere in the European Union. The shortlists are drawn from the winners of the 2007 RIBA National and European Awards. The prize is named after the architect Sir James Stirling 1926 – 1992. The winner receives £20,000.

6. Established in 1895, The Architects' Journal has consistently been at the

forefront of architectural publishing. Its weekly news coverage, comprehensive building studies and in-depth technical and practice features make it essential reading for the profession, and its incisive commentary makes it a must-read for opinion formers. The AJ is the UK's leading independent architectural magazine, whose authoritative voice has informed generations of architects. For more information on the RIBA Awards visit the AJ website at www.ajplus.co.uk|

7. All RIBA Award winners can be seen at www.architecture.com|

8. The RIBA Awards and RIBA Stirling Prize are managed by the RIBA Trust. The RIBA Trust manages the cultural assets of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), including the internationally recognised collections of the British Architectural Library. It is the UK's national architecture centre, delivering the RIBA Awards and RIBA Stirling Prize (live on Channel 4); the Royal Gold Medal; International and Honorary Fellowships; Architecture Week (with Arts Council England and the Architecture Centre Network); a full programme of lectures, exhibitions, tours and other events; and an education programme.