Atkins honoured with landscape industry award - 03 December 2008
Judges at this year’s Landscape Institute Awards have honoured a design to improve the streetscape of Clerkenwell, one of London’s most vibrant areas.
The specialist public realm team from Atkins, Europe’s biggest design and engineering consultancy, has come up with a solution to make the area work better for visitors, businesses and residents alike. In a joint project with the London Borough of Islington, the Atkins team created a design that should remove rat-runs, improve facilities for cyclists and provide an attractive, universally accessible and sustainable environment for all.
Ludwig Tewksbury, principal designer at Atkins’ public realm division, said: “I live in the area and it has made me acutely aware of the issues. Although some of these are common to other public realm projects, especially in London, we recognise the importance of this historic location and have tailored solutions, with sustainability and innovation as priority considerations. We are delighted that this project has been recognised by the Landscape Institute judges.”
The area has been reinvented as a highly attractive evening and weekend destination, packed with character, charm and amenities, but its road layout has been unchanged for centuries. With the amount of visitors to the area set to increase due to the new Thameslink and Crossrail facilities at Farringdon Station, there is a desperate need to do something more to improve the pedestrian environment.
‘Clerkenwell Village Renaissance’, funded by Transport for London, should create a sensitive and imaginative, well-researched solution both to the practical and aesthetic needs of the area and its heritage. It delivers robust fundable options for more green space, high quality public space, less street clutter and includes concepts for the celebration of the rich local history by creating settings for future public art.
The project won the highest level of acclaim for the Local Landscape Planning category. The awards are presented to encourage and recognise outstanding examples of work by the landscape profession and aim to bring greater awareness of the best contributions from Landscape Institute members in creating an improved environment. The awards aim to promote the art and science of landscape architecture, advance the knowledge and understanding of the discipline and to celebrate professional expertise.
Ends
For more information:
Jane Sheils
PR Manager 01372 752350
Jane.sheils@atkinsglobal.com
Notes to editors:
Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) is a multinational engineering and design consultancy, providing expertise to help resolve complex challenges presented by the built and natural environment. Atkins is the largest multidisciplinary consultancy in Europe, the largest engineering consultancy in both the UK and the Middle East, and the UK's second largest architecture firm.
Atkins’ current projects include:
• Major infrastructure works, such as design and programme management of the civil works for the Dubai Metro red and green lines;
• In the defence sector, the MoD’s Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) programme – overseeing the development of the next generation of medium weight armoured vehicles for the military;
• Significant road contracts, such as a £150 million, five-year integrated contract for Gloucestershire County Council, delivering highway maintenance, design, emergency response, winter maintenance, re-surfacing and recycling;
• Key rail projects, including a £65 million, three-year resignalling contract in Basingstoke; and
• High profile designs, such as Durrat Al Bahrain, a spectacular 20 sq km resort for 45,000 people on the south coast of Bahrain, comprising 13 man-made islands.
Atkins won Engineering Consultant of the Year 2008 at the prestigious Building Awards. The company was named among the “20 Best Big Companies to Work For 2008’ by The Sunday Times; The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2008; and The Times Top 50 Companies Where Women Want to Work 2008. The company was construction sector winner for the third consecutive year in the Target National Graduate Recruitment Awards 2008.