The Solent Quality Place awards are focussed purely on the places that buildings create – not the iconic buildings celebrated by other national and regional awards – but the spaces that must be designed carefully for the enjoyment and benefit of communities, customers, users and passers by.  Places that people will want to use, to be in and to pass through.  All this is celebrated in these awards, to bring attention to the importance of our places.  The need to recognise and showcase high quality place-making across the region was identified by the Partnership for South Hampshire when the first awards were held in 2010. Since then the Awards have become a regular biennial event attracting entries from architects and clients from outside, as well as within, the Solent region.

A Grade 1 community renovation project and a former factory turned major multi-use leisure destination have been named as two of the best new developments in the Solent Region.

The presentations to this year’s winners were made by Cllr Sean Woodward, Chairman of Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH) at the prize winning locations. Cllr Woodward said: “Initiatives such as the Solent Quality Place Awards are so important in promoting the importance of placemaking. An iconic building may be of interest to many, but bringing to fruition a scheme which creates an environment that makes a real difference to the people around it is more than interest, it is essential to the coherence and development of our communities. Congratulations to both winning schemes and to all who contributed to their success”

Find out more about the winners here.