I’m keen to hear about the journey buildings have been on – how the world has evolved since the brief was set, says Architecture Today Awards judge and Grosvenor development director Heather Topel.
Heather Topel leads delivery of Grosvenor’s sustainable development pipeline, and is one of the 18-strong judging panel appointed for the Architecture Today Awards 2022. Topel, previously led the North West Cambridge Development – a 3,000 home extension to the city of Cambridge – and was a director of town planning at Aecom. She is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and a board member of Islington & Shoreditch Housing Association.
She shares her hopes for the inaugural Architecture Today Awards, which aim to celebrate buildings that have stood the test of time.
What attracted you to be a judge at Architecture Today Awards?
Focussing on buildings that stand the test of time really puts the emphasis on the people who use our buildings and the places where we live and work.
What qualities will you be looking out for – what will make a project stand out to you?
I’m keen to hear about the journey that these buildings have been on – how the world has evolved since the brief was set, their adaptability and contributions to wider placemaking, reflections from the people who use them on a day-to-day basis, and actual energy performance.
What do you hope will be taken away from the live presentation and judging process?
I hope a sense of how important it is to think long-term about the impact our work has on people and the planet.
What building would you most like to see among the entries?
I’d like to see buildings that are providing creative solutions to challenges facing the high street, innovative zero carbon developments and buildings that have been given a new lease of life.
Find out more about the Architecture Today Awards and how to enter by visiting the Architecture Today Awards portal.
