The Hepworth Wakefield garden and CAPA College named in civic society design and environment awards

Business owners and community groups also received awards in recognition of their contributions to improve the city.

The society has been making awards for good design since 1966.

The awards are an annual event but returned after a three-year pause due to Covid.

Civic Society present Kevin Trickett said: “All too often, people seem prepared to criticise the city centre.

“But for anyone prepared to look, there is a lot of work being undertaken by the council, developers and business owners to make real improvements to the city and this is in the interests of everyone, whether they are residents, business owners or visitors to the city”.

The awards were announced at the society’s annual general meeting on April 20.

In the new-build category, a commendation was given for Heathland View House.

The property, at Warmfield, has been built into the landscape so that it is almost invisible from the road.

The architect was Neil Bowen Architects.

An award was presented to CAPA College for their new purpose-built premises on Mulberry Way.

The architects were Race Cottam Associates.

Judges described the building as “modern and amply suited” to its purpose, completing the Merchant Gate development opposite Westgate Station.

A second award was presented for The Hepworth Wakefield garden, designed by Tom Stuart-Smith.

The judges liked the way that the garden adapted the space between the Hepworth gallery and the recently opened former mill building refurbishment at Tileyard North.

They said the garden created an area of “beauty and tranquillity” close to the city centre that residents and visitors to the gallery could enjoy.

A final award in the new-build category was presented for a new house at 115a Northgate, designed by Architecture 1B.

The house occupies a prominent plot on the corner of Wentworth Terrace and Northgate.

The judges were impressed by how the modern design fitted into a relatively small area while being respectful of the properties around it.

In the refurbishment category, judges gave a commendation to a project at a derelict former Manygates Hospital building, now known as the Manor House.

The building has been re-purposed as flats as part of a larger residential development known as Woodlands Village.

The lead architects were ParkedDesign.

A commendation was also given to the refurbishment of 22 Silver Street, which includes a newsagent and the offices of First Choice Recruitment.

Wakefield Council was commended over the Westgate Heritage Action Zone project in recognition of work done to improve the entrances to Woolpacks Yard, Thompsons Yard and Carter Street.

A design award was given to Castle Lodge, Castle Road, Sandal.

The former nursing home has been refurbished and extended to create new apartments.

Judges liked how a house of traditional design had been sympathetically extended to create additional apartments within a landscaped setting.

The design was by PRA Architects.

Two commendations were given in the best shop front category.

The first went to business owner Louise Mould for her hair salon at Bread Street.

The second was presented to First Choice Recruitment for the new frontage on their premises at 22 Silver Street.

In the best public house, café/bar or restaurant frontage category, one commendation and one award were presented.

The commendation went to Gazi Meydan for the design of his restaurant frontage at 56 Northgate.

The award was given to Icon, a bar in the Westgate Heritage Action Zone.

In the best residential category a further commendation was awarded for Manor House, while Castle Lodge secured its second design award.

Two environment awards were presented.

The first went to Friends of Outwood Park for their planting scheme at the park.

The second went to Wrenthorpe Environmental Society (WRENS) for their work to ‘spruce up’ the village.

Unlike the design awards, where recipients were presented with certificates and plaques, winners of the environment awards were presented with certificates and cheques for £100.

The awards were introduced by David Dinmore, deputy lieutenant for West Yorkshire, and were presented by Wakefield mayor David Jones.

This year’s awards were open to projects completed during 2020, 2021 and 2022.