Success for Southampton at RICS Regional Awards
Two Southampton projects were nominated for awards at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) South East Regional Awards which took place in London on 17 June 2024
Two Southampton projects were nominated for awards at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) South East Regional Awards which took place in London on 17 June 2024. Southampton City Council commissioned both projects which involved contractors Atkins-Realis as lead consultant and Traditional Stone and Morgan Sindall Construction as contractors.
The RICS Awards showcase the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, real estate, construction, and infrastructure and recognise outstanding achievement, teamwork, and companies.
St Mark’s Church of England School won the Community Benefit Award, whilst the Heritage Asset Repair Programme (HARP) was a shortlisted finalist for the Heritage Award. This means that St Mark’s School will advance to the national awards in October.
The first phase of HARP began in June 2023 and was completed in January 2024. Phase 2 of the project is currently underway and due to be completed in late autumn and involves repairing and conserving Southampton’s nationally important historic monuments and heritage assets. This involved the Council’s Culture & Tourism and Corporate Estate and Assets teams, working closely with Atkins-Realis, Pritchard Architecture and Traditional Stone.
In 2022, St Mark’s School made history as Southampton’s first all through school (ages 4 to 16) as the secondary wing opened its doors to its first cohort of pupils. The expansion of the school created 900 much needed new secondary school places, alongside a pre-school nursery offering 24 places and 400 new primary school places. The project was led by Southampton City Council’s Corporate Estate and Assets team in partnership with the Diocese of Winchester. Morgan Sindall was appointed as the contractor and Atkins-Realis (formerly Faithful & Gould) and Architecture PLB as the professional consultants. This scheme has meant that families can access state-art-of-the art facilities on their doorstep and avoid long bus rides to other schools.
Councillor Pat Evemy, Southampton City Council’s Heritage Champion said:
"Southampton’s cultural heritage and the stories of our diverse communities make Southampton a very special place. We are very proud to be investing in their preservation for future generations, alongside investing in the education, hopes and aspirations of our city’s young people which is why I was delighted to see these two fantastic projects nominated. Well done to the teams behind St Mark’s School, a deserved win, with high hopes for the National RICS awards."
Councillor Alex Winning, Cabinet Member for Children and Learning said:
"I’m delighted that St Mark’s School has won the Regional Community Benefit Award and I know how much this will mean to those involved with the project. Shaping the future of Southampton’s children is rewarding in itself, but to advance to the National RICS awards is really special."
Jeremy Lineham, HARP Project Manager from Atkins-Realis added:
"I’m proud that this project was recognised by RICS and shortlisted as a regional finalist. Southampton’s rich and diverse heritage is critical to the city’s identity and a growing sense of pride that can be enjoyed by communities and visitors to the city. I know how hard everyone has worked on this phase of the project and we look forward to seeing future phases of HARP enhance the beauty of this City."
