2000 Awards

A judging panel, drawn from the Town Hall, Bournemouth's Civic Society and the Dorset branch of the RIBA, toured a dozen sites (chosen from nearly 200 schemes under consideration) in search of the winners for this year's Civic Design Award.

The Mayor presented certificates to the architects, developers and builders responsible for each scheme in the Mayor's Parlour on Thursday 16th November 2000.

The successful schemes are detailed below:

Please scroll down the page to view the successful schemes, detailed below:

Non residential and overall winner

Pokesdown School, Darracott Road

Pokesdown Primary School, with places for 420 children, has a floor area of 2,100 square metres and cost £2 million to construct. It replaced a Victorian school formerly on the site. The school impressed the judges and became the overall winner.

It's modern lines and distinctive colouring are in vigorous counterpoint to the surrounding houses. The school presents a very simplified design of straight lines and a few dramatic curves. Facing Darracott Road, the school presents an 'International Style' elevation - with a generally 'Art Deco' look. The stone and render cladding gives it a grey brown colour, which highlights the much darker brown window frames. The less formal playground elevation has been given a 'playful' treatment, with elevated walkways and sunken play areas.

The school has been designed to provide a good standard of disabled access and to be energy efficient. The interior has been designed with colour coded materials, lots of display screens and closeable shutters, to allow a variation in light penetration from the large windows.

This is not the first time that the school has been recognised in an architectural competition; only last year, mainly on account of the inspirational interior, it was given a special mention in the national Civic Trust Awards. The architect was Neil Armitage of Format Milton Architects, Alton, in Hampshire. The builders were EBC Construction, of Eastleigh.

Residential winner

12 Milner Road

12 Milner Road is a three-storey block of 8 flats. The original villa on this site burnt down just before Christmas 1993; the Chief Fire Officer for Dorset established that the cause was 'doubtful' and the insurance company refused to 'pay out'. As a result of this and other fires in Milner Road (which affected building where permission was unlikely to be given for demolition) a new fire hydrant was installed in Clarendon Road.

The Secretary of State gave special permission for Bournemouth Council to try to protect and restore the fire damaged villa, which falls within the West Overcliff Drive Conservation Area, but is not listed. Talks with prospective purchasers delayed any action and the building was left exposed and unprotected for 20 months; by which time a quantity surveyor had provided a report which showed that the original building could not be saved.

A scheme for redevelopment was prepared. This had increased site coverage over the original villa, as the coach-house was considered to have 'no architectural merit' and was demolished, this also allowed the flats to have a different orientation on the site to the former building, although the entrance is in the same position as before.

Many original details from the former building were re-used in the new block of flats, including stone mullions and architraves; stone string courses; Portland stone quoins; an oval bull's eye window - the stained glass being completely re-furbished, timber balcony balustrades, keystones, columns capitals and bases, and huge timber modillions at eaves level replicated from those on the existing building. The chimneys were made high enough that they could be seen from Milner Road. A circular corner bay was incorporated into the design; all bedrooms were given terraces or balconies. Landscaping was also considered to be an important part of the design.

Non Residential "Highly Commended"

Law Courts, Riverside Avenue

Bournemouth's new Law Courts make a bold post-modern statement, combining Futurism and Art Deco elements in the design. It stands on a virgin site at the edge of Bournemouth's green belt. It is one of several new buildings, including Bournemouth Hospital, the office at Wessex Fields, and a shopping centre, which have been built following the death of the Cooper-Dean sisters, whose family owned the land for generations. 

The Royal Arms form a prominent and colourful part of the design, interpreted in a very conventional way. The design of the Law Courts was regulated by Nigel Coburn, who is based in Bristol. The roof design was based on a wave, as a salute to the nearby Littledown Centre, and to Bournemouth's coastal location. Being a crown development there was no Planning Application submitted, so no details of the planning process are presently available.

Residential "Highly Commended"

6 Stourwood Avenue

'The Manor' at 6 Stourwood Avenue is a stylish new three-storey block of twelve flats for the elderly. This development impressed the judges sufficiently to be Highly Commended in the residential category. 'The Manor' takes its name from the villa, divided into 5 flats in 1949, which formerly stood on the site, which was the only built example of the Tuck brothers' over-ambitious scheme to build 20 or so houses on the land between Pokesdown and Hengistbury Head. Their 'Stourwood Estate' was to have one feeder road with each house standing in acres of gardens. The architect of the present scheme was John Harrison, of Leybourne Avenue, his design was finely tuned by The Quorum Partnership, from Christchurch, whilst the developers were Bradholme Ltd. of Esher, Surrey. The new block is parallel to the road, whereas the former villa was set at 45 degrees, some of the main concerns during construction were the retention of the landscaping around the boundaries and the problems of overlooking neighbouring properties, which was largely solved by installing obscured glazing.

1995/6 Awards

Winner: River Barn and Lower Dairy, Throop Road, Throop

1993/4 Awards

Winner: St Saviours’ Church Hall, Colemore Road, Iford

1992 Awards

Winner: Pegasus Court, Lansdowne Road

1991 Awards

Winner: The Abbey Life Building, Holdenhurst Road

1990 Awards

Winner: The Sovereign Centre, Christchurch Road, Boscombe

1989 Awards

Winner: The Littledown Centre, Chaseside, LIttledown

A special Centenary Award was made to St Joseph’s Convent, Branksome Wood Road

1988 Awards

Winner: The Norfolk Royale, Richmond Hill

1987 Awards

Winner: Home Life House, St Paul’s Road

1986 Awards

Winner: The Quadrant Centre, Old Christchurch Road

1985 Awards

Winner: The River House, Wick

1984 Awards

Winner: Lansdowne Private Hospital, Landsdowne Road