Best-in-class design shines at South Downs National Park Awards in Midhurst

The winner were announced at a ceremony in Midhurst on Wednesday (October 02). As well as promoting creativity and understanding of the National Park through design, the awards are intended to celebrate high standards of architectural and landscape design.

More than 60 nominations were received earlier this year, and 16 unique projects were shortlisted across Sussex and Hampshire. Among this year’s winners was the Lannings Way project in Midhurst, which took home a joint prize The Mile House at Crossgates, Amberley, in the residential category. Lannings Way comprises four energy efficient homes which pay homage to the site’s heritage as a former ambulance station, as well as the setting of the site in a conservation area.

The Mile House, in Amberley, meanwhile, is placed up the edge of a slope for incredible views of the landscape. The living space is fully Passivhaus-certified, meaning it also boasts exceptional thermal performance and air tightness.

Talking about Lannings Way one judge said: “We were impressed by both the developer’s ambition, care for detail and the bold design solutions implemented. It should serve as an inspiration for more creative house building design elsewhere in the National Park.”

They were joined by winners from across Sussex, including by the team behind the restoration of the Cockshut Stream, in Lewes, which won two awards this year; the Landscape Category and also took the top spot in The People’s Choice, taking the lion’s share of the 1,500 votes in the public poll.

All the winners across each category won a specially designed trophy, hand crafted in South Downs oak by West Sussex sculptor Alison Crowther.

"Tim Slaney, Chief Executive (Interim) of the National Park Authority, said: “The standard of entries has been exceptional and it’s been an incredibly difficult decision to pick the winners among such a strong field.

“Every project demonstrates just how high, rightly, the benchmark is for design in the South Downs National Park.”