Two of Wokingham Borough Council’s latest construction projects, the Dinton Activity Centre and the expansion of Addington School, are showing real star quality with the announcement that both have been nominated for not just one, but for seven design and construction awards.
Cllr Gregor Murray, Conservative Norreys and executive member for resident services, communications and emissions, said: “The award categories we’ve been shortlisted for all reflect the commitment this council is making towards building greener buildings, to help us achieve the vision of a Net Zero Carbon Wokingham Borough by 2030. We’ve set ourselves the ambition of becoming leaders in greener construction and projects like these are a big step towards achieving this.
“When it opens in the autumn Dinton is going to be a flagship for net zero carbon development. A showcase for what can be achieved if you are willing to challenge expectations and embrace a more sustainable way of working, whilst still creating a great community building for residents to use.”
The nominations have been made by three different bodies, the Offsite Construction awards, the British Construction Industry (BCI) awards and the highly esteemed Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) awards in recognition of the innovative approach Wokingham Borough Council has taken to designing and delivering projects, as well as their role in leading the way to deliver low carbon developments.
“Investing in great new facilities for our local residents is incredibly important and something we continue to do across the borough,” said Cllr John Kaiser, executive member for finance and housing. “Everyone who has been involved in the Dinton and Addington schemes, from the designers HLM Architects to the contractors Reds10, recognise how special these two projects are and it’s great to see them getting the recognition they deserve.
“There was lots of competition for all these awards so to be shortlisted for seven awards is a massive achievement, and we will certainly be keeping our fingers crossed as winners are announced over the coming months”
The Addington school expansion project was completed in 2020 and has allowed this outstanding special educational needs school to increase its capacity by around 50 new students, allowing them to access the best SEND education possible. The new building includes classrooms, a café and social/breakout areas for students to enjoy.
The Dinton Activity Centre, whose opening in the autumn is eagerly awaited by local residentswill has new watersports facilities and fully accessible changing areas. The site also has a new coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating and a activity hall which will be available for activities and events.
Awards the council has been shortlisted for include:
- Dinton Activity Centre – Retail/Leisure project of the year, Offsite Awards (with HLM)
- Addington School – Education project of the year, Offsite Awards (with Reds10)
- Dinton Activity Centre – Best use of volumetric technology, Offsite Awards (with HLM)
- Dinton Activity Centre and Addington School – Building Information Management (BIM)/Digital Construction, Offsite Awards (with HLM)
- Dinton Activity Centre and Addington School – Architect of the Year, Offsite Awards (with HLM)
- Dinton Activity Centre – Carbon Net Zero Initiative of the Year, British Construction Industry Awards
- Dinton Activity Centre and Addington School (Wokingham Borough Council) – Client of the Year, Chartered Institute of Building Awards
Winners of the different awards will be announced during the coming months with the Offsite Awards announced on the 21 September, the CIOB awards on the 29 September and the BCI Award for Carbon Net Zero Initiative on the 13 October 2021.
