Championing Community and Sustainability at Sussex Heritage Trust Awards
Cowan Architects, a longstanding supporter of the Sussex Heritage Trust, is proud to be involved in the 2024 Awards program in May.
Mark Lomas, a Senior Chartered Architectural Technologist and Passivhaus Designer at Cowan Architects, will take part in judging the prestigious Awards this year. With an impressive track record spanning over three decades, Mark has been extensively involved in sustainable building and design. His expertise encompasses a wide range of projects, including community, educational, and healthcare initiatives, as well as large-scale developments. As a result, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the judging panel.
This year Mark will be lending his expertise to judge the Public and Community category at the 2024 Sussex Heritage Trust Awards. This category encompasses a diverse range of projects, some of which are also entered in the separate Eco Award. Mark will contribute his specialist technical insights to both categories. Sustainability remains a top priority for Cowan Architects and aligns with the core values that the practice brings to its comprehensive range of architectural services.
In 2023, Mark served as a judge for the Eco Award, which was sponsored by Cowan Architects. Working alongside a team of fellow professionals, he visited various buildings entered for the awards, carefully assessing them based on the Trust’s objective and transparent criteria.
Mark was deeply impressed by the sensitive transformation of a community hub in Brighton, which earned a Highly Commended Award. This project converted a parish hall into a vibrant community hub, aiming to combat food poverty and encourage community connections. He also explored other notable projects, including a seafront pop-up development and the restoration of a Grade II Listed temple building at a school. These projects similarly prioritise community engagement and thoughtful design choices to improve functionality and user experience.
Cowan Architects has enjoyed a long-standing close relationship with the Awards and will sponsor the 2024 Landscape Award. David Cowan, the founder of Cowan Architects, has actively contributed to the Sussex Heritage Trust for over 20 years and currently holds the position of Chairman.
Mark is very much looking forward to continuing his exploration of Sussex’s most inspiring projects this year. At the same time, Cowan Architects eagerly anticipates continuing its support for the Sussex Heritage Trust Awards in 2024. We are delighted to reinforce our enduring partnership and we enthusiastically await the unveiling of this year’s outstanding projects.
