Atkins- designed social housing scheme wins York Design Award
Atkins, one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, has received a York Design Award for its design of the £3.2m Le Tour Way housing development for the City of York. The ‘Residential Large’ category recognises housing schemes over £500m, and the judges praised Atkins for delivering new homes for the city which far exceeded the standards usually seen in a development of this kind.
The Le Tour Way development provides sustainable homes, including apartments and houses split 50/50 for council houses and homes for sale on the private market. The large, spacious homes have been built with liveability in mind and were designed in response to resident feedback on previous schemes.
Atkins provided design services, project management and Code for Sustainable Homes assessment for the development.
Low water fittings and appliances, as well as rainwater collection for irrigation and flushing of WCs, help to minimise water use. Each home and apartment has individual facilities for recycling. As a result of the integrated design approach, the properties are inexpensive to run whilst minimising the impact on the environment.
The special invitation-only ceremony was held at the University of York’s Ron Cooke Hub, itself a previous winner of the York Design Awards. Developments in the seven main categories were considered by an independent panel of judges, chaired by Julian Bicknell. The awards recognise the importance of good design not just in major developments but also in smaller schemes, restorations and extensions in the public realm.