The Vijay Patel Building at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has won another top award for architectural excellence.
The building, designed by CPMG Architects, won the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) East Midlands Award announced last night. The Vijay Patel Building will now go on to the national RIBA awards with the winners announced on June 21.
Judges praised the building’s break-out areas which encourage collaboration and its skilful use of light and space.
Umesh Desai, DMU’s Estates Director, said: "We are absolutely delighted to win this award. To be recognised by the RIBA for this magnificent building is extra special, especially as the Vijay Patel Building is home to our Leicester School of Architecture.
"Staff and students love the building especially the open and collaborative spaces that were a key feature of the design."
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Director for CPMG, Nick Gregory, said: “This RIBA award is testament to the hard work of our design team who are experts in delivering transformational projects across higher education campuses across the UK.
“We’re really proud to have been involved in such a landmark project which has modernised the Art and Design facility on behalf of De Montfort University and has been recognised for its high merit and contribution to the wider community.”
The winners were announced last night at a prestigious awards ceremony held at The University of Leicester, hosted by BBC East Midlands TV political editor Tony Roe.
Regional Jury Chair, Mike Wilson-MacCormack, said of this year’s award-winners: "Blurring boundaries is a notable theme. In larger buildings which accommodate multiple teams and departments, spatial organisation skilfully merges more structured zones with break out areas and gathering spaces to encourage openness and collaboration.
"Particularly within teaching and research facilities, there is a notable visual transparency so that activities are clearly seen and celebrated. Many smaller scale projects are also successful in manipulating space and light to merge different functions and create delightful and unexpected experiences."
The annual RIBA Awards drive excellence in architecture through the highest professional and ethical standards. As a regional winner, the Vijay Patel Building will then go head-to-head with the country’s other regional winners to be in with a chance of winning the highly coveted RIBA National Award. The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning buildings later in the year.
The £42 million centrepiece to the university’s campus, which is home to the university’s art and design courses, has already won several design awards. It was named the best educational building in the East Midlands at the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) awards. Leicester Civic Society named it the best new building in Leicester praising it for being "in scale and harmony with its important historical surroundings".
Posted on Friday 18 May 2018