Orwell Crossings RIBA Competition, Ipswich Architecture Contest, Suffolk Architects Project Proposal News

Orwell Crossings Project Ipswich Competition UK

Ipswich Architecture Contest: New Suffolk Crossings Design, Southeast England, UK

Upper Orwell Crossings Project Design Contest Winner

Foster + Partners selected as Architectural Team to join the Upper Orwell Crossings Project, Ipswich

10 Mar 2017

Upper Orwell Crossings Project Competition Winner

Following a competition run in partnership with Suffolk County Council, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Competitions is pleased to announce that Foster + Partners has been selected as the architectural team to join the Upper Orwell Crossings project in Ipswich.

The judging panel, chaired by Sir Michael Hopkins CBE, selected Foster + Partners from a strong shortlist of five internationally renowned teams that also included (in alphabetical order of design firm lead): Adamson Associates with William Matthews Associates and Ney & Partners; Knight Architects; Marc Mimram; and Wilkinson Eyre with FHECOR and EADON Consulting.

Upper Orwell Crossings Project – winners news in full with images of the proposal

26 Sep + 2 Aug 2016

Orwell Crossings Project Ipswich Competition Shortlist

Orwell Crossings Project Ipswich Competition Architects Shortlist

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Competitions is pleased to announce the shortlist on behalf of Suffolk County Council for the Upper Orwell Crossings Project in Ipswich.

The Pre-Qualification phase attracted a high quality range of submissions from practices of varying size based in the UK and internationally. The Evaluation Panel consisted of Suffolk County Council’s Project Manager and Planning Consents Manager, together with Kevin Drain (WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, Associate Director and Engineering Lead for the Upper Orwell Crossings Project) and Jonathan McDowell (Director, Matter Architecture Ltd.) acting as the RIBA Architect Adviser.

The five short-listed teams (in alphabetical order of design firm lead) are:

 Adamson Associates (Toronto) with William Matthews Associates and Ney & Partners
 Foster + Partners (London)
 Knight Architects (High Wycombe)
 Marc Mimram (Paris)
 Wilkinson Eyre (London) with FHECOR and EADON Consulting

Orwell Crossings Project Ipswich Competition

In selecting the shortlist, the Evaluation Panel looked for architectural teams who demonstrated experience of collaborating on major infrastructure projects, working within a multi-disciplinary team environment, and designing projects of architectural distinction with a complexity, scale and/or budget similar to that required on the Upper Orwell Crossings scheme. The appointed architectural team will join an existing project team led by WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff who will be responsible for providing structural and civil engineering input to the project.

Suffolk County Councillor with the responsibility for delivering the Upper Orwell Crossings, Cllr Guy McGregor said: “We have received some excellent interest in the project from architectural teams that have delivered major bridge projects both in the UK and internationally. I look forward to assessing the tender concepts in December.”

Orwell Bridge Suffolk

Ben Gummer, Member of Parliament for Ipswich, said: “I am very excited by the strong list of short-listed architectural teams. In this shortlist we have the wealth of talent, experience, variety and quality we need to design the beautiful bridges our town deserves. I am looking forward to seeing their ideas.”

The five short-listed teams will be invited to present their design concepts to the Judging Panel (Chaired by Sir Michael Hopkins CBE) in mid-December 2016 with the winner scheduled to be announced in early 2017.

2 Aug 2016

Orwell Crossings Project Ipswich Competition News

Orwell Crossings Project Design Competition Launch

2nd August 2016 – The Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) Competitions unit is pleased to announce the launch of a design competition with associated tender process on behalf of Suffolk County Council for the Orwell Crossings Project in Ipswich.

Orwell Crossings Project Ipswich

Commitment to fund this £77 million project was announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s March 2016 Budget and will see the proposed construction of two new crossings near the town’s waterfront area, together with the refurbishment of an existing swing bridge across the lock which provides access to the ‘Wet Dock’ and its marina facilities.

This major infrastructure project will ease traffic congestion in Ipswich by providing a major new crossing of the River Orwell, connecting the waterfront area to the town centre and improving journey times for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. It will also deliver a range of economic benefits and act as a catalyst and focal point for further regeneration, contributing to the continued prosperity, redevelopment and expansion of the wider waterfront area. The development potential of the man-made peninsular Island which separates the Wet Dock from the New-Cut will also be released, joining the Island to the River Orwell’s west bank.

The Council is seeking to appoint an Architectural team with experience of collaborating on major infrastructure projects, of working within a multi-disciplinary team environment, and the design of high quality bridge structures to programme and budget. The appointed Architectural team will join an existing project team led by WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff (WSP|PB) who will be responsible for providing structural and civil engineering input to the project. It is envisaged that the project will also seek to utilise Early Contractor Involvement to aid development of the design concepts with respect to buildability etc.

Suffolk County Council’s Member with special responsibility for working with outside bodies, Cllr Guy McGregor said: “We want to open up the design competition to find the most suitable architectural expert team to work with Suffolk County Council in the crucial design of this major project for the county town of Ipswich and Suffolk. We are getting some really positive feedback through our current consultation on this project and we look forward to working with the winning Architectural team to realise a design that fits with Ipswich ambitions and continued success in the future.”

Further background to the project and details of the selection process are outlined in a Memorandum of Information available from: www.architecture.com/riba/competitions/enteracompetition/livecompetitions.aspx

A Pre-Qualification Questionnaire and Scope for Procurement of Architectural Services is available by registering with Suffolk County Council’s e-Tendering system (‘Suffolk Sourcing’) at:

www.suffolksourcing.co.uk

Orwell Crossings Project in Ipswich

Responses to PQQs will be used to select a shortlist of candidates (minimum 5) to participate in the design concept phase of the competition. The scope of the competition will require short-listed Architectural teams to develop design concepts for the crossings independently of the SCC and WSP|PB design team. In addition to a registered practicing architect, Architectural teams may therefore wish to consider engagement of other specialist bridge consultant(s) within their team, which might include a structural engineer, M&E consultant and/or landscape designer to advise on the development of their concept proposals.

Each short-listed Architectural team who submits a compliant tender for the competition phase and gives a clarification interview presentation will receive an honorarium payment of £10,000 (+VAT).

It is the intention that the successful Architectural team will be appointed by Suffolk County Council to work alongside the team led by WSP | Parsons Brinkerhoff to develop the design proposals up to RIBA Stage 3 in the first instance. Progression of the project will be subject to securing necessary consents and confirmation of funding commitment. It is intended that the project will be delivered under a Design & Build contract and that the design team will be novated to the contractor. It is currently anticipated that construction will need to commence on site by 2020 in order to meet funding conditions for the Upper Orwell Crossings project.

The deadline for submission of completed PQQ returns via the Suffolk Sourcing e-Tendering system is 17.00hrs (BST) on Thursday 01 September 2016.

Suffolk County Council – Further details about the Upper Orwell Crossings project can be found at:
www.suffolk.gov.uk/UpperOrwellCrossings

Website: Orwell Crossings RIBA Competition

Website: Orwell Crossings Project Ipswich

Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, England, UK

Ipswich Architecture

Ipswich Buildings – selection below

Willis Faber & Dumas Headquarters
1975
Design: Foster + Partners

The Jerwood DanceHouse, Ipswich
Design: John Lyall Architects
The Jerwood DanceHouse + The Jerwood DanceHouse

University Campus Suffolk building, Ipswich
Design: RMJM
Suffolk college building – Architecture Competition win

English Houses

County Architecture adjacent to Suffolk

Cambridgeshire Buildings

Essex Buildings

Norfolk buildings

English Architect

Comments / photos for the Orwell Crossings Project Ipswich CompetitionRIBA Suffolk Architecture Contest page welcome

Website: River Orwell Suffolk