Following our nomination of Gloucester Service back in May (alongside a allied nomination by Matson and Robinswood Residents Group) we are delighted to announce that the project won both the New Build Category AND was the Overall Award Winner!
The ceremony took place in London last week, with the Society represented by Tim Mars.
This is the wording from the Civic Voice website:
Winner: Gloucester Services Northbound
Glenn Howells Architects
Matson residents and community partners came up with the unique idea of making the M5 motorway immediately adjacent to Matson a route to income, training and employment for local communities by developing Gloucester Services into an embassy for Gloucestershire. Gloucestershire Gateway Trust teamed up with Westmorland, who own and run the only independent motorway services in the country, to deliver this vision. The judges were unanimous in recommending Gloucester Services Northbound as winner of the New Buildings category and also the clear overall winner of the Civic Voice Design Awards 2015.
The project has taken what is usually the most dismal of buildings and developed it into a resource and showcase for local people, products and produce, boosting the local economy. It sets an outstanding vision for the design of motorway service stations for the future. The vision the community have relentlessly pursued is utterly commendable. Its use of the surrounding rural landscape and farming community to improve employment, training and skills in neighbouring deprived communities has been an outstanding achievement.This is an amazing project, totally original, community led, well designed and commercially successful too. Gloucester Services Northbound is a fantastic precedent for strong community cooperative led design, which we hope is replicated across the country.
Nominated by Matson and Robinswood Residents Group and Stroud Civic Society
We will upload some photos of the event, hosted by Griff Rhys-Jones, soon. You can download a pdf detailing all the winners by clicking here.