THREE building projects, including two in North Suffolk, have been honoured by the Suffolk Association of Architects with awards for outstanding design.

THREE building projects, including two in North Suffolk, have been honoured by the Suffolk Association of Architects with awards for outstanding design.

The SAA Design Awards, now in their fourth year, were presented at the Suffolk Joint Consultative Committee for Buildings'annual supper - held at Trinity Park, Ipswich - alongside the association's longer-established craftsmanship awards for high quality building work.

The winning projects were 1-12 Goodfellows in Kings Road, Bury St Edmunds (residential), the William Godell Pavilion in York Road, Southwold (Community Building) and the OrbisEnergy building in Wilde Street, Lowestoft (Commercial).

The William Godell Pavilion, designed by Brian Haward ARIBA AABC for Southwold and Reydon Recreational Development Council, was described as an 'exceptional community sports pavilion' which, despite a very limited budget, had been 'extremely well considered down to the last detail' and fitted well within 'a very sensitive landscape'.

OrbisEnergy, designed by Pick Everard for Suffolk County Council, was hailed by the judges as 'a striking building that reflects its coastal context with its nautical aesthetic' and which 'successfully demonstrates its purpose to promote and nurture ecological/green enterprises'.

The judging panel for the awards includes an architect, a planning professional and a suitably qualified lay person, with this year's trio including Patrick Stephenson of Brown and Scarlett Chartered Architects, Peter Goodyear, senior planning officer at Mid Suffolk District Council and Rebecca Weaver, art development manager at Ipswich Borough Council.

Alan Wilkinson, president of the Suffolk Association of Architects, who presented the design awards said: 'We have had another exceptional year of entries and we congratulate the clients and the architects of these outstanding buildings.

'Suffolk appears to be bucking the trend as the wealth of stunning buildings built in 2008 in Suffolk demonstrates. In the middle of a down turn is when clients need to be investing in good quality architecture most and the quality of this year's winners and nominees illustrates that Suffolk architects are more than capable of providing it.

'The awards are aimed at raising the awareness and importance of quality architecture in the county, but nothing demonstrates that need more than the current economic climate, and the need for an advantage over the competition.'

The SAA Design Awards were developed to complement its Craftsmanship Awards, which have been running for several decades, in which the association recognises the skills of the contractors and individual craftsmen and women.

A total of eight awards were presented this year, across the categories of New Build, Alternations & Extension, Refurbishment and Individual Craftsmanship. The winners were:

New Build: Complete Timber Solutions Ltd, for work on the William Godell Pavilion, Southwold (Architects: Brian Haward ARIBA AABC; Client: Southwold & Reydon Recreational Development Council).

New Build: Mixbrow Construction, for work on Hacheston Village Hall (Architects: Poole & Pattle Architects; Client: Hacheston new village hall steering group).

Alterations & Extension: Chapman & Pleasance Ltd, for work on Isaac's, 7 Wherry Quay, Ipswich (Architects: Nicholas Jacob Architects; Client: Aidan Coughlan).

Alterations & Extension: Barnes Construction, for work on Glasswells, Ipswich (Architects: SMC Charter Architects; Client: Glasswells).

Refurbishment: D C Construction Ltd, for work on 11 Constitution Hill, Ipswich (Architect: R G Licence; Client: Mr & Mrs C Licence).

Refurbishment: R & J Hogg Ltd, for work on the Friends Meeting House, Bury St Edmunds (Architects: Modece Architects; Client: Religious Society of Friends).

Individual Craftsmanship (joinery): Robert Sharpe, O Seaman & Son Ltd, for work on Culford School's Music Rooms. (Architects: Henry Painter RIBA; Client: Culford School).

Individual Craftsmanship (joinery): Alan Cordy and Dave Mitson, F A Valiant & Son Ltd, for work on St Michael's Church, Woolverston. (Architects: Freeland Rees Roberts Architects; Client: Woolverstone Parochial Church Council).