Bosses of a West Midlands glazing firm have spoken of their pride at becoming headline sponsor of an awards scheme that honours those who protect old buildings across the UK and Ireland.
Storm Bespoke Secondary Glazing has joined forces with the Society of the Protection of Ancient Buildings to become headline sponsor for their Heritage Awards 2022.
The awards, which aim to showcase and reward excellence in the care of old buildings, will this year be presented by Grand Designs presenter and SPAB ambassador Kevin McCloud. There are a number of new categories, including craftsperson of the year, which will celebrate the people behind the restorations and repairs that help safeguard these buildings for future generations.
Jayne Griffiths, director of Halesowen-based Storm, said: “We are delighted to once again be working with SPAB who champion the importance of the preservation of historic and listed properties; something for which we share a joint passion.
“Supporting the SPAB Heritage Awards is a great opportunity to celebrate the skilled craftspeople, practitioners and dedicated custodians of our nation’s heritage properties and we are thrilled to be part of this.”
Jayne said the work being carried out by Storm was very much in line with the work highlighted by SPAB.
Storm installs secondary glazing panels to heritage and listed buildings which make them warmer and quieter so that they can be kept in use, but without damaging or altering the look or fabric of the building.
Recent projects include installing secondary glazing at the Royal Hospital Chelsea as part of restoration work on the residential section of the iconic building.
The Storm team members had to work within strict conservation guidelines to ensure the appearance of the building was not altered in any way and the planning stage of the project took several years before a satisfactory solution was found.
Another high-profile project was working on Britain’s last remaining Semaphore Tower in Chatley Heath, Surrey. The Grade II listed building, which dates from the Napoleonic era, was saved from collapse and restored by The Landmark Trust and the experts at Storm were drafted in to provide secondary glazing for some of the windows.
It has now been turned into a unique holiday retreat offering 360-degree views across to London and the Home Counties.
The categories for the SPAB Heritage Awards 2022 awards are as follows:
Building Craftsperson of the Year
This award honours craftspeople and builders working with historic buildings.
Best Loved
This award will be voted for by the public and will celebrate the care and attention given to old buildings.
Sustainable Heritage Award
This award will celebrate the best new design skills being used in upgrading old buildings or adapting them for new uses.
The Philip Webb Award
This award celebrates the sympathetic reuse of old buildings and rewards sensitive new design work.
The John Betjeman Award
This celebrates excellence in the conservation and repair of places of worship.
A SPAB spokesperson said they were delighted to have Storm on board, adding: “The SPAB Heritage Awards are re-launching in 2022 and we couldn’t be more excited.
“We will be championing excellence in built heritage across the UK and Ireland, bringing established SPAB awards together with fresh new ones, and waving the flag for all the gifted craftspeople, dedicated custodians and environmentally conscious practitioners that work tirelessly to ensure that our astonishing built heritage has a bright future.
“We’re thrilled to partner with a range of interesting and passionate heritage companies that are sponsoring the SPAB Heritage Awards.”
Kevin McCloud added: “These awards celebrate excellence in everything I hold dear: conservation, intelligent design, sustainability and craftsmanship.”
SPAB was founded by the designer and artist William Morris in 1877 in response to a trend for Victorian architects to carry out restoration that was harmful. Today it aims to continue that work in ensuring that old buildings are understood, cared for and protected for future generations.
Entries to the SPAB Heritage Awards 2022 can be made from now up until March 28, 2022. Philip Webb Award entries can be made between July 18, 2022 and September 12, 2022. The presentation will be in November at Conway Hall in London. To find out more, visit https://www.spab.org.uk/get-involved/awards/.
Storm is based in James Scott Road, Halesowen. For more information, visit stormwindows.co.uk
