Ben Cunliffe and Sarah Jane Nielsen are celebrating, having received two top prizes at the Northern Design Awards for their work on the stunning new Gilpin Hotel and Lake House Spa Lodges project in Windermere. Ben Cunliffe Architects won Best Commercial Build 2016 for the Lodges, whilst Sarah Jane Nielsen won the Residential Interior Designer category.
The Northern Design Awards, which are now in their 14th year, recognise design excellence across the North of England in both architecture and interior design. Hundreds of leading designers assembled at The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds which provided a very fitting setting for the awards, which were held on Armistice Day.
This year’s judging panel featured Linda Barker, Wayne Hemingway, Nick Munro, Jan Constantine, HRH Princess Katarina and internationally renowned designer, George Bond, plus the influential Alison Vance and Noel Farrer.
Ben Cunliffe worked closely with his family (who own and run Gilpin Hotel & Lake House), designing and project managing the five new Spa Lodges. “We are delighted this build has been recognised as Best Commercial Build 2016 at the Northern Design Awards. We work closely with the Lake District National Park to produce innovative, sustainable architecture that sits comfortably within our very special landscape.”
Each of the Spa Lodge interiors are individual in design and were inspired by Sarah’s travels, with themes taken from her Scandinavian roots and time spent in the Middle East, America and North Africa. Sarah adopted an eclectic approach, both to the individual design of the lodges and to the selection of different fabric houses and other suppliers, creating a mix of texture and colour, resulting in the unique interiors for each suite.
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House launched the luxurious detached Spa Lodges earlier this year. Each larch-clad eco pod has an open plan bedroom, beautiful bathroom and a private en-suite spa with treatment area, steam room, rain maker shower, free standing oval stone bath, outdoor sauna and hydrotherapy hot tub. The Spa Lodges are surrounded by a curved Cumbrian slate walled garden and project off the ground to provide wonderful views over the grounds to the Lake District landscape. Mood lighting, fires, and a state-of-the-art music system assist with invigorating all the senses.
This latest award for both practices follows on from their recent success at the International Property Awards, with Ben Cunliffe having won Best Leisure Architecture for the North West and Sarah having won an award in the Hotel Interior Design category.
Ben Cunliffe Architects have now been nominated for Best Leisure Architecture in the UK at the Daily Telegraph’s International Property Awards; the UK overall Leisure winner and the international winners will be announced at the Savoy in London on the 12 December.
