stem building

Prestigious award for College’s STEM building

Mary Silk shares this good news from the Isle of Wight College. Ed


The Isle of Wight College’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Centre was this year’s overall winner of the prestigious South East Region Local Authority Building Control award for Best Educational Building.

Mr David Loudon, project manager, was presented with the trophy and certificate at a gala evening celebrating some of the very best in British architecture.

What are the LABC awards?
Local Authority Building Control (LABC) represents all local authority building control teams in England and Wales. They work cooperatively with building owners, home owners, architects, plan drawers, developers, building contractors and other professionals to ensure buildings are safe, healthy and efficient to meet the standards set by the building regulations.

LABC awards are all about the essence of good buildings, with finalists judged not on architectural beauty, but on the “excellence” shown from a construction and technical building control point of view. They celebrate the design and construction teams that, having tussled with technical issues and difficult sites, found innovative and creative solutions.

David Loudon (IW College’s Project Manager) centre with Rod Burton (Pick Everard, architects) with the awards

Award categories cover the whole range of construction, rewarding everything from the best extension, local builder or traditional craftsperson and conversion through to the best new housing development, public service building, inclusive building and partnership with a local authority building control team.

Winners automatically qualify for the National Grand Finals, which this year will be held on Monday 28 November at the Westminster Park Plaza in London.

Celebrating the very best
Congratulating the winners, Jacqui Barr, Chair of the South East Region, said:

“The awards are an opportunity for us all to celebrate the very best construction in the region, recognising the high level of skill and professionalism the building industry is capable of reaching.”

The Isle of Wight College’s Pathways building for learners with disabilities was awarded Highly Commended.