David Mackay Award for Engineering and Sustainability
For this final award, unusually, and perhaps a reflection of the increasingly mainstream character of sustainability, we have no less than four highly commended projects as well as an overall winner.
Winner: 9-11 Portugal Place
Deep retrofit and extension of six Victorian terrace houses for St John’s College. The properties were degasified and their fabric upgraded. New extensions deliver larger amenity spaces and extra toilets for 43
postgraduate bedrooms.
Project team
Client: St John’s College, Cambridge
Architect: MCW Architects
Contractor: PML (Planning Manager Ltd)
Structural Engineer: Smith and Wallwork
M&E Design: Greengauge
Building physics and moisture risk assessment: Greengauge
AECB certifier: Greengauge
Landscape architect: Robert Myers Associates
Acoustician: Scotch and Partners
Planning advisor: Turley
Fire engineer: Affinity Fire Engineers
CDM Principal Designer: MCW Architects
Image credit: Photograph by (c) David Valinsky
Judges citation:
“We really loved this project, taking on a dilapidated terrace and making it fit for the future in a way that could and should be replicable by others. Creating additional, stylish space for modern student living at the same time as decarbonising the buildings led to innovative solutions that are both stylish and effective, were executed with technical rigour throughout, including following the AECB retrofit standard, and with architectural flair. Congratulations to the St John’s team.”
