Rye featured strongly in this year’s architectural awards handed out by the Sussex Heritage Trust. Presentations were made by the trust’s president, Lord Egremont, at the ceremony held on Wednesday, July 6.
Among the winners was the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre, earning the judges’ praise for “the way the building melded into the landscape. The counterpart of glass and walled sections opened up the wonderful views across the marshes.”
A further winner was the newly designed Seabreeze (main pictiure) submitted by RX Architects of Rye. Located on Camber Sands beach and backing onto the sand dunes, it commands outstanding views. The judging team said: “An innovative, thoughtful and imaginative design for an exposed marine site …..clever use of space for such a limited footprint and impressive craftmanship within the building.”
In the landscape and gardens category, Rye-based garden designer Kristina Clode won an award for the sensory garden at Sedlescombe Primary School in Battle. The garden was built almost entirely by volunteers to create a space for children and staff to use both for breaktime, outdoor learning and reading groups. The garden features drought-tolerant Mediterranean plants and grasses which provide scent, colour and contrasting textures. “Tall perennials and grasses bring dynamic changes of height over the course of the year,” said Kristina Clode in submitting the project.
Sussex Heritage Trust chairman, Simon Knight said: “It is fantastic to see these worthy award winners in Rye, in particular doing so much for exciting new design and spaces. Thank you to all who entered the Sussex Heritage Trust awards and congratulations to all our winners and highly commended projects.”
Image Credits: courtesy of Sussex Heritage Trust , Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve , Abigail Rex , Rx Architects .