Pioneers – Blue Jays and Beachwood have been shortlisted
(Image source: SkArchitects/Nick Kane)
Creative and groundbreaking architects from south Essex have been shortlisted for an award recognizing their work in creating modern and sustainable new homes.
The Bluebird housing development in Southend and Beachwood Village in Basildon have been shortlisted by the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects for their architectural flair and innovative features.
Designed by Southend-based SkArchitects, Bluebird on Southchurch Avenue is made up of six modular homes and was commissioned by Harp to provide ultra-efficient, low-energy but extremely efficient housing for homeless and vulnerable people in the city. Attractive residence.
Steven Kearney, 54, director of SkArchitects, said: “This is a huge honour, and very few buildings are lucky enough to receive this award.
“It’s not just about providing people with housing, it’s about providing them with a quality space where they feel valued. I do think that feeling of home and feeling valued is important, and we do that with low cost, low energy and a small space. Did this.
“It costs nothing to add color.
“These houses are called ‘passive houses’, they are airtight houses with minimal energy output and are four times more insulated than standard buildings.
“The air loss in a standard house is exponentially different from that in a Passive House, and the energy bill saved allows Harp to be better spent on keeping people off the streets.”
Mr Kearney added that the ethos underpinning the six innovative homes was to design spaces where “people feel valued and have minimal impact on the environment”.
“It took us five years to do this from start to finish and we have been working with them for ten years. We are very supportive of Southend.”
Bluebird is a major award winner, winning the 2023 Interior Housing Development Award, the 2023 AJ Architecture Awards Housing Project Award and the 2023 Essex Housing Awards Excellence in Design Award.
Also shortlisted is Pollard Thomas Edwards-designed Beechwood Village, an ambitious regeneration of the Craylands Estate in Basildon to provide more than 250 homes for middle-income people.
Modular homes are built and delivered in factories, a major innovation that allows people to design their own homes online, with choices ranging from the number of bedrooms to the type of brickwork.
Potential buyers have the option to design their home through an online configurator, where they can choose a plot of land, choose the type of house they would like, the number of bedrooms, modify how the house is built, and even add partitions and extensions.
Justin Laskin, Partner at PTE, said: “We are delighted that the project and community developed here have been recognized by the RIBA Award nomination.
“Beechwood Village is a hugely ambitious project that takes residential customization in the UK to a new scale.”