The Atrium Building, Canning Town wins at 2018 LABC Building Excellence Awards Grand Final

The Atrium Building, Canning Town, constructed by Countryside Properties, designed by Shepheard Epstein Hunter and nominated by the building control team from the London Borough of Newham was awarded the title of Best High Volume New Housing Development at the LABC Building Excellence Awards Grand Finals – one of the most recognised events on the building industry’s calendar.

A panel of industry experts judged a shortlist of the highest quality projects from around England and Wales to reward the best in technical innovation, sustainability and design.

With a view of the London Olympic Legacy Park and the City, the Atrium Building forms the penultimate phase of Area 3 of the Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration project, known as East City Point (ECP).

This project has provided over 600 new homes including the redesign and reprogramming of the public realm and landscaping. Dwellings are protected from traffic noise, pollution and weather by a dramatic north facing atrium.

The glazed atrium itself provides good visual connections internally and the central winter garden provides a memorable focal point. The building forms a landmark, helping to orientate people within and outside East City Point. The winter garden is provided for the shared use of the residents.

LABC Chief Executive Paul Everall said: "Our Building Excellence Awards are an opportunity for the industry to celebrate good practice. Our winners demonstrate how positive working relationships with local council building control teams achieve high quality, sustainable buildings.

"Our awards are unique because they recognise how this cooperation improves building standards and professionalism across the industry."

The panel of expert judges said "this is a high quality development which has very successfully risen to the significant challenge of a difficult site immediately bordering an extremely busy and noisy arterial road.

"The design solution of creating attractive walkways and a winter garden to combine amenity with noise protection for residents was novel and added depth to the scheme’s wider design merit."

The LABC Building Excellence Awards Grand Finals took place on Friday 9 November 2018 at the Westminster Park Plaza in London and was hosted by Dead Ringers star, comedian and impressionist Jon Culshaw.

860 building industry professionals including contractors, architects and engineers attended the celebration to find out which projects won across the 15 hotly contested categories. 

About the LABC Building Excellence Awards

The LABC Building Excellence Awards showcase buildings and design teams that have had to tussle with complex technical or construction issues and building site constraints.

They highlight innovative and creative solutions and building control professionalism that leads to safe, sustainable and high quality construction projects.

Supporters of the 2018 awards included Abbey Pynford, Actis, FMB, Home and Build, Jewson, LABC Acoustics, LABC Warranty, Planning Portal, Polypipe Terrain and Swiftclean.