06.03.2019

Prestigious award win for The Exchange

We are delighted to announce that The Exchange has been named as the inaugural winner of Aylesbury Vale District Council’s (AVDC) Norman Bragg Award, presented for high quality design and build.

The award was presented to the project team at the Aylesbury Vale District Council Design Awards on 5 December, which celebrate developers of outstanding built environment projects in the district.

The Exchange is a mixed-use development in the heart of Aylesbury which forms part of a major town centre regeneration. It combines residential apartments with a large public open space, four new restaurants and other leisure facilities – giving a new lease of life to Aylesbury’s town centre that reflects how people want to live today.

We have been working on the scheme since 2017, after being selected as the council’s development partner to deliver the project. Each element of the development has been designed to complement the architecture of the historic buildings adjacent to the site.

The 47 one and two-bedroom apartments we have built have been designed with young professionals and first-time buyers in mind, helping people in the area to get onto the housing ladder. More than this, The Exchange provides what matters to them when choosing a place to live – modern housing, public space and entertainment.

Durkan are the first recipient of this award which is in commemoration of Norman Bragg, the architect who designed the renowned Aylesbury Theatre and worked on several other projects with AVDC. The Exchange was also shortlisted for the People’s Choice and Best Mixed Use Scheme awards.

Michelle Harris, Durkan’s Head of Sales and Marketing, said: “The Exchange is a development of the highest quality, and we are delighted to have played such a key role in delivering it. 

“It is not just about the quality of the apartments, but everything the regeneration offers. Young professionals want entertainment on their doorstep, modern homes to live in and good transport links to get to work. The Exchange is a perfect example of how town centres can be modernised to provide the facilities that matter to residents.”

Councillor Peter Strachan, Cabinet Member for Planning and Enforcement at AVDC, commented: “These annual awards highlight the diversity of building projects across the Vale, recognising those which demonstrate excellence and support the sustainable growth of the district. Over the past 26 years, we’ve presented numerous awards and are proud to continue to promote sustainable, attractive and innovative design.  We worked closely with Durkan on The Exchange and are proud of the result.  Congratulations to The Exchange project team and all the other shortlisted projects.”