DALBY'S GREEN CREDENTIALS SECURE TOP AWARD

The Dalby Forest Visitor Centre scooped the 2007 Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award from a strong shortlist of 18 projects, thanks to its commitment to sustainability. The Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award is part of the British Construction Industry Awards and is sponsored jointly by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC).

Materials, machinery and labour used in construction were all locally sourced. The building is clad in larch grown and milled in the North York Moors; the water supply comes from the local village spring; and rainwater is used to flush the toilets. A woodfuel boiler burning woodchips from the forest, solar panels and wind turbines mean that nearly all energy needs are met from renewable sources. There is an environmentally recyclable rubber roof system; and the reception desk incorporates recycled mobile phones, yoghurt pots and Wellington boots.

The building – which opened in April this year - also offers opportunities for people to learn more about the environment around them and the forest ecosystem in an interactive display. It features a restaurant, conference room and open-air timber-decked terrace.

The striking £2.6m building is the focus of a £4.3m regeneration project that puts the 8,600-acre forest at the centre of a package of fantastic visitor attractions in the North York Moors. The Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward, has invested £1.45m in the project and Government Office invested £1.2m of ERDF Objective 2 funding.

CABE Commissioner Irena Bauman presented a plaque yesterday (28 November) to James Swabey, Head of Recreation and Public Affairs for Forestry Commission England.

Forestry Commission Chairman, Lord Clark of Windermere, said, “This accolade is an endorsement of the Forestry Commission’s commitment to sustainable construction and to tackling climate change. Local timber – a truly renewable resource - is used to clad and power the visitor centre and the building itself nestles into the landscape enhancing the natural beauty of the forest itself. Dalby Forest Visitor Centre acts as a sustainable example of building techniques and materials, demonstrating how a modern building can lessen its impact on the local as well as global environments.”

Irena Bauman said, ” Dalby Forest Visitor Centre shows us that good design can make real, positive differences to people’s quality of life. It inspires those using and visiting it; it adds to the enjoyment of the places and spaces around us; and it brings added vitality and prosperity. It also shows how innovative design can help build a sustainable future. CABE congratulates the whole team who worked together so effectively to achieve this year’s best public building.”

Don Stewart, Executive Director of Strategy of Yorkshire Forward, said, "This award acknowledges the hard work of all the partners involved in the project. The Dalby Visitor Centre, and the wider regeneration of Dalby Forest as a visitor attraction supports Yorkshire Forward's strategy to develop the visitor economy across Yorkshire and Humber. The forest is set to receive 400,000 visitors each year, playing its part in supporting a genuinely sustainable approach to tourism and stimulating the economic development of the region."

For more information please contact Jo Fowler, Forestry Commission England Press Officer on 01223 346034 or 07833 672903 or Richard Darn at GNN on 0113 341 3178 or 0775 367 0038.

Notes to Editor

1. Dalby Forest – situated on the southern slopes of the North York Moors - is one of the most visited outdoor attractions in Yorkshire with approximately 300,000 visitors per year. The Forestry Commission is working with Ryedale District Council, Yorkshire Forward, Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber and the North York Moors National Park Authority to enhance visitor facilities and attractions at the site.

2. Other elements of the regeneration include The Courtyard where old farm buildings have been redeveloped to provide workshop and sales space for local artists and craftspeople as well as office units, a café and a bike hire company. Additionally, 55 kilometres of new mountain bike trails forming four routes of varying difficulty are due to be completed in May. A new Go Ape! course - rope bridges, Tarzan swings and zip slides up to 40 feet above the forest floor -has also opened at Dalby. For more information see www.goape.co.uk

3. The Forestry Commission manages over 250,000 hectares (600,000 acres) of woodlands in England. Most of this land is open for public access and the Commission is the largest provider of countryside recreation in the country. For further information, visit www.forestry.gov.uk/england

4. Funding for this £4.3m development is made up of the following funding. Yorkshire Forward £1.45m, ERDF Objective 2 £1.2m, Ryedale District Council
£55K, North York Moors National Park Authority £25K, Yorventure £20K, Forestry Commission £1.55m.

5. The Designer was White Design, contractor was Miller Construction, principal engineer was Halcrow Yolles and project managers were Turner & Townsend.

6. CABE is the government’s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space. As a public body, we encourage policymakers to create places that work for people. We help local planners apply national design policy and offer expert advice to developers and architects. We show public sector clients how to commission buildings that meet the needs of their users. And we seek to inspire the public to demand more from their buildings and spaces. Advising, influencing and inspiring, we work to create well-designed, welcoming places. www.cabe.org.uk
Irena Bauman is a co-founder of Bauman Lyons Architects Ltd.
Bauman Lyons is committed to experimenting with new design processes. Irena has extensive experience leading complex projects and large regeneration teams. Her practice leads on low-carbon design with schemes such as Tower Works in Leeds. She is the author of a book to be published in Spring 2008 entitled How to be a Happy Architect.