NOTE: This is an update to previous post…

The Northwest Regional Development Agency and the Forestry Commission, in partnership with RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) and Lancashire Wildlife Trust, are inviting architects to design a green building complex. Run as a competition, the NRDA wants architects to design a suite of visitor facilities for the Brockholes wetland and woodland nature reserve in Preston.

The 106ha former quarry site sits in a key strategic location aside junction 31 of the M6 motorway, and is intended to become a major visitor attraction under the ‘Newlands’ scheme. Newlands is a £59 million, NWDA-funded regeneration scheme that aims to transform over 900 hectares of the Northwest brownfield land into community woodland and green space. Launched in the Summer of 2003, Newlands is now the largest land regeneration project in the country – and the foremost of these programmes to use forestry as the basis for change.

Several projects across the Mersey Belt area of the Northwest region are already being developed to have direct impact on the local economy and communities. Newlands has now expanded to cover the whole of the Northwest region.

The visitor facilities at the centre of this design competition form a key element of the scheme, and they will include a café, shop, gallery, education and meeting rooms.

The competition invites architects to submit designs for the full suite of visitor facilities, to inspire and encourage people to visit the site and engage with the natural world. The designs should also aspire to be a carbon neutral construction, drawing on local resources where possible.

On announcement of the competition, Peter White, Head of Infrastructure & Development at the Northwest Regional Development Agency said: “Regeneration projects such as Brockholes are key to improving the image and perception of England’s Northwest, encouraging investment and aiding future economic development.”

“Within that wider project it’s essential that we support the type of design for the visitor facilities that promotes the attractiveness of the surroundings and inspires visitors to keep coming back.”

Entries will be judged anonymously in the first stage then the authors of the five preferred schemes will be invited to present them to the jury panel. A total prize fund of £11,000 is available for the jury panel to allocate as they see fit.

For further information on how to enter please contact the RIBA Competitions Office on tel ++(0) 113 2341335 or visit www.architecture.com/competitions The submission deadline is Wednesday, 19 September 2007.

Via: Green Building Press