British Construction Industry Awards 2023

Project of the Year Award

The winner is drawn from best of the project award winners.

Winner

Jubilee Pool, Penzance

Commissioning authority | Jubilee Pool Penzance

Lead designer | ScottWhitbyStudio

Main contractor | Catling Construction

Other project contributors | Webb Yates Engineers, Geon-Gel Geothermal Engineering, Arup, Fox Cornwall, PT Projects, A1 Construction Penzance, ESW, Fibreglass

Judges’ comment “ The standout attributes were the depth of community involvement, the social regeneration that has resulted from the project and the range of lessons that the industry can learn from it”

In 2014, extreme storm damage left much of the Jubilee Pool damaged and structurally detached from the peninsula on which it sits.

A vast community effort gained funding to restore the pool, but high running costs and low visitor numbers meant it was threatened with closure and the prospect of being turned into a car park.

In 2017, the Friends of Jubilee Pool, a local charity group, bought the facility from the council.

ScottWhitby Studio was appointed to explore rejuvination options with the local community.

The charity raised £600,000 for the work by selling 1,400 shares to local residents, obtaining a further £1.8M from other grants and funding.

One of the most important innovations is a 410m deep geothermal well which heats the water and maintains temperature with a very low carbon footprint.

This has increased the attractiveness of the Grade II listed art deco facility to swimmers and has helped efforts to regenerate Penzance.

Visitor numbers have increased from 40,000 to 90,000 with about 50% coming from outside Cornwall.