Award-winning reflections

“The opportunity to visit projects by other architects and discuss their merits with fellow judges is a huge privilege, and one that is not taken lightheartedly” says Dav Bansal as he reflects on the culmination of several months of judging on both the Housing Design Awards and the Royal Institute of British Architects National Awards.

This is the first year that Dav has been on RIBA National and International panel, having been on the HDA panel since 2015. Previously he has been a judge for the BCO Midlands & East Anglia Awards from 2015 to 2017, as well as the RIBA West Midlands Awards in 2014 which saw Mecanoo’s Library of Birmingham win the regional project of the year and then go on to earn a place on the Stirling Prize shortlist.

He says “My involvement over the last decade with a number of these judging panels across the industry has been an incredibly useful insight into how the economy, technology and market trends are shaping our designs. It is also a delight to appreciate the creative minds of designers who strive to exceed expectations through their exploration of ideas and experiences.”

The importance of shaping places, bringing communities together, and balancing the design quality with budgets continues to be a challenge from year to year, and to recognise and reward those who push these boundaries is a tremendous responsibility for the judges.

The lessons I have learnt, the observations I have made and the discussions I have had with other architects, engineers and fellow judges has offered an education that I continue to relish and encourage others to pursue, as we can learn so much from each other.”