Best New Car Park

This site-specific award recognises outstanding car park design. It is open to local authority and private car park operators, owners, architects, developers and construction companies. Car parks entered may be multi-storey, underground or surface sites.

The aim of the Best New Car Park Award is to showcase how a car park can be a truly inspiring building that has architectural merit, is well built and which functions smoothly in terms of traffic flow and layout.

Projects submitted should aim to:

• Deliver an excellent driving and parking experience

• Create an attractive, safe and aesthetically pleasing environment

• Accommodate the emergence of new forms of vehicle usage, vehicle types and alternative modes of travel

• Include energy management systems and display green thinking

• Enhance the locale and destination the car park serves both in terms of amenity and visually

• Cater for alternative activities and uses

• Make provision for the building's life 'post-parking'.

Entries should be made with the participation and/or approval of the car park owner or primary operator.

Depending on the field of entries, separate trophies may be awarded for:

• Best Multi-storey Car Park

• Best Surface Car Park

To qualify, the car park must be operational at the time of entry to the awards.

Please specify:

• The name and address of car park

• The client

• Key team members (main contractor, architect, engineers, etc.)

• Number of levels, spaces, etc.

• Type of structure and method of construction

The judges will be looking for car parks whose design and construction:

• Meet the specific needs of the destination served

• Make use of high quality materials and finishes

• Show a high degree of co-operation between the developer, designers and planning authority

• Feature a sensitive, sympathetic and aesthetic treatment of the exterior and locale

• Provide high quality, well-lit interiors

• Provide well planned vehicle circulation paths

• Feature excellent signing of vehicle and pedestrian paths

• Act as memorable and well thought out gateways to the destinations they serve.

During site visits the judges will pay particular attention to the 'drivability' and location of each entry.

The entry pack should include details of:

• Number of spaces, levels, etc

• Construction processes (type of structural frame, building materials used, etc)

• Nature of vehicle circulation paths

• Budget (overall and per space)

• How the project was funded

• Payment systems and enforcement regime (where applicable)

• Facilities for all categories of user (disabled people, motorcyclists and pedestrians)

• Facilities and working conditions for staff

• Security arrangements (staffing, lighting, CCTV, help-points, etc)

• Environmental considerations during construction and when operational

• Signage arrangements (internally and externally for guiding both drivers and pedestrians)

• Arrangements for infrastructure maintenance (such as Life Care Plans)

• Provision made for electric vehicles and cycles

• Public art works and other special features

• Safer Parking Scheme Park Mark status

• Other awards the car park has won.

Please supply:

1. Images of car park exterior and interior

2. Full plans and circulation details

3. Details/diagram of traffic flow and site access/egress

4. Details/images of site signage

5. Full postal address so that shortlisted car parks can be easily located by the judges

6. Evidence of Park Mark, ESPA and other awards

7. Customer and client feedback.