Seaton Delaval Hall, a country house located north of Newcastle Upon Tyne, has won UK Heritage Project of the Year at the RICS Awards Grand Final.
The UK’s most outstanding building projects went head-to-head for top national accolades at the awards, with the winners announced at The Londoner Hotel, Leicester Square.
Category winners of all sizes and budgets from each of the 12 regional RICS Awards competed in the Grand Final for the chance to win their respective category. Four new national categories were introduced at this year’s awards – Infrastructure Team of the Year, Environmental Impact, Outstanding Large and Small surveying firm/team. The 10 category winners were announced at the ceremony as well as the overall winner and a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
Seaton Delaval Hall is Grade I listed and plays host to over 20 individually listed buildings. This £5.3m project involved conservation and adaptation across the historic estate and the range and nature of the works make this project an exemplar of conservation practice.
Commenting on the winning project, the judges said: “Seaton Delaval Hall is a flagship project for The National Trust both in terms of conservation and regeneration. Extensive research and attention to detail has ensured not only a highly considered approach to the conservation and repair of this significant Grade I listed property but also transformed the experience for visitors.
“The outstanding quality of craftsmanship and its’ sensitivity, using local contractors & materials, provides that its story & history are easily read for those visiting and makes it a worthy winner of the national award.”
The winners of the ten national RICS Awards are as follows:
- Commercial Development Project – Hylo, London
- Community Benefit Project – The Wilds, Barking Riverside, London
- Environmental Impact Award – St Sidwell’s Point, Exeter
- Heritage Project – Seaton Delaval Hall, Whitley Bay
- Infrastructure Team of the Year – North West Multi Modal Transport Hub Project Team, Northern Ireland
- Outstanding Large Surveying Firm Team – Investors and Insurers Team, Arcadis Lenders
- Outstanding Small Surveying Firm/Team – Modus Construction Consultants Ltd
- Public Sector Project – Erne Campus, South West College, Northern Ireland
- Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project – Buxton Crescent Hotel and Thermal Spa Project, East Midlands
- Residential Project – Perry Barr Regeneration Scheme, West Midlands
Commenting on the grand final winners, chair of the judging panel David Brooks-Wilson FRICS said: “The judging panel and I were so impressed with the dedication of the teams behind these winning projects, they are a true testament to the tireless dedication of industry professionals across the UK. Their talent and collaborative approaches have resulted in exemplary and innovative schemes that really do represent the very best built projects across the regions.
“Each of the winning projects is having a profoundly positive impact on their local area and the RICS is delighted to recognise the hard work that went behind ensuring these projects were delivered successfully, particularly in such challenging and uncertain times as we navigated through the pandemic. The teams behind them should be incredibly proud of the part they have played in helping to improve their community and wider local economy.”