Winners 2009

Overall Winner and Future Buildings Winner

Transforming the way we design and build

The Edible Terrace is a sustainable interpretation of the traditional Victorian terrace house. The self-sustaining living quarters are designed to reduce food miles, household food and fuel bills, energy consumption and encourage urban food production and healthy eating.

Adapted from an existing terrace house, the small holding includes living accommodation for up to three people and an internal planting area. Lawns, backyards and communal spaces are converted into vegetable plots, organic pig pens and chicken runs. An interseasonal heat store, biogas digester that can fuel a small car and cooking appliance and south facing solar roof and façade work together to help reduce the carbon footprint.

Future Open Spaces Winner

Making better use of spaces in towns, cities and villages

Park and Glide is an innovative new transport scheme that utilises existing waterways to reduce traffic congestion and pollution in city centres.

An adaptation of existing popular city centre park and ride schemes, Park and Glide encourages shoppers and workers to park their cars and catch boats into the city centre.

Car users within the community benefit from the scheme thanks to low parking costs, reduced fuel consumption and easy access in and out of the city centre. The redesigned waterfronts feature 'boat stops' and open spaces that attract wildlife.

Future Play Time Winner

Bringing local communities closer together

Rented Park Kiosks is a cost effective solution to encourage more people to visit and utilise parks up and down the country, promoting healthy living, social interaction and boosting the local economy.

The compact, flexible and transferable stalls provide low-cost retail outlets for community and charity groups, local schools, artists, craftspeople and fledgling local businesses with unlimited seating and display options.

The multifunctional modular stalls can quickly adapt to become a seating area, meeting point, storage unit or mini stage set. The stalls are manufactured from sustainable timber.

Future Work Life Winner

Improving local economies

The Objet D'art Vu is an enterprising idea that promotes economic growth, eco-friendliness and social inclusion. A series of transferable display boxes help to bring alive public spaces within housing estates and create space for residents to showcase art and exchange their unwanted household items.

The invention is designed to tackle two key issues prevalent in many modern housing estates - under utilised public space and a lack of community spirit.

The art gallery provides a focal point for the community, while the 'Swap Shop' inspired recycling points help to highlight the environmental and economic benefits of 'reusing' rather than of 'discarding' and promote the concept of 'free cycling'. Participating in free community recycling encourages residents to interact regularly.

Future Green Thinking Winner

Creating environmentally-friendly solutions for everyday living

An adaptation of the Neighbourhood Watch scheme, the Environmental Watch Group is a scheme designed to reduce carbon emissions at a local level.

Community environmental watch groups are responsible for observing, monitoring and educating the environmental activities of local residents in a bid to tackle the low carbon challenge.

Used as a vehicle to cut the carbon output of communities, the onus is on the Environmental Watch Group to encourage local people to consider the negative effects of climate change and adopt new measures to help reduce their carbon footprint.

The groups meet regularly to come up with innovative ideas, incentives and schemes that are relevant to the local area and undertake a range of activities including waste management and monitoring biodiversity.