Paxman Academy shortlisted for RICS Social Impact Awards 2020

Our Paxman Academy project was recently shortlisted for the prestigious RICS Social Impact Awards, in the category of Education. We were extremely proud and pleased to be shortlisted from over 460 outstanding projects.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, RICS decided to move the RICS Social Impact Award ceremonies to a digital platform this year. It was a shame we were unable to attend the awards ceremony for the East of England but we enjoyed watching the virtual ceremony via the RICS YouTube channel. Emma Jesson, ITV Weather Presenter, and Phil Spencer, Television Presenter and Journalist who is best known as the co-presenter of Location, Location, Location, hosted the event which showcased this year’s shortlisted projects. We would like to congratulate all of the winners and runners-up.

David Brooks Wilson, Chair of the award judging panel said: “This year’s shortlisted projects show the power of built environment professionals to make a positive impact on society and our communities.”

Alderman Blaxhill High School was originally built in the 1950s and had reached the end of its useful life. As a result, the poor state of the building was affecting overall pupil performance. We worked with Barnes Construction to design and build a brand-new 900 place secondary school, with distinct areas for sports, admin and teaching. Paxman Academy has provided the community with a state-of-the-art facility, which is inclusive and open for use by the wider community. Our client, Essex County Council, have adopted Paxman Academy as an exemplar school because of the economic design and functionality of the building.

The RICS Social Impact Awards judges selected the very best projects from across the region. We are so proud of the project team who worked hard to make Paxman Academy a success story.