Industry News
Cork House
wins Stephen
Lawrence
Prize 2019
The Royal Institute of British
Architects (RIBA) has named Cork
House, an ingenious carbon-neutral
private house in Berkshire, made
almost entirely from cork, as winner
of the 2019 Stephen Lawrence Prize.
ork House, by Matthew Barnett
Howland with Dido Milne and Oliver
Wilton has solid structural cork
walls and a cork roof. All the cork
components simply slot together,
without glue, enabling them to
be easily disassembled, reused or
recycled. Located in the grounds of
a Grade II listed 19th century mill
house, it beautifully reflects and
respects its natural surroundings.
The Stephen Lawrence Prize aims
to encourage new, experimental
architectural talent, celebrating
and rewarding projects with a
construction budget of less than
£1 million. First awarded in 1998
in memory of Stephen Lawrence,
who was taking steps to become an
architect before his untimely death
in 1993, the £5,000 Prize has been
sponsored by the Marco Goldschmied
Foundation since its inception.
Source RIBA
Latest CIFAS research reveals five
percent increase in mortgage fraud
in the first half of 2019
Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention
service, has revealed that mortgage fraud
has seen a 5% increase in the first six
months of 2019 compared to the last six
months of 2018. These figures are being
released as part of the Cifas ‘Faces of Fraud’
campaign, which aims to highlight the
fact that what some view as a victimless
crime, is both illegal and could have serious
consequences for those involved.
Mortgage application fraud occurs
when either false or altered documents
are provided in support of a mortgage
application (fraud by production of a false
document increased by 14% and fraud by
submitting altered documents increased by
32%). Such applicants often provide false
or altered bank statements and proof of
income as a way to validate their income
for mortgage applications.
Interestingly, nearly half of those caught
committing application fraud (45%) were
aged between 31-40 years old, a 16%
increase compared to the last six months of
2018. They were closely followed by those
aged between 41-50 years old who saw a
6% increase.
Coincidentally, recent research carried out
by Cifas and WPI Economics revealed that
people in the 35-44 age category were
more likely to think that exaggerating their
income on their mortgage application was
‘reasonable’ than any other age group.
Network Rail wins 2019 RIBA
Client of the Year
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced
Network Rail as the winner of the 2019 RIBA Client of the Year.
The annual RIBA award recognises the role that a good client plays
in championing brilliant architecture.
ince its foundation in 2002, Network Rail has been responsible
for a significant number of RIBA award-winning projects in
Manchester and London, connecting people throughout the UK.
Network Rail’s RIBA Award winning projects include: Manchester
Piccadilly Station by BDP (2003), St Pancras International by
In terms of regional breakdowns, the
West Midlands saw the highest increase in
fraudulent mortgage applications at 43%,
whereas cases in the North East rose by a
third.
Cifas is urging people to stop, think and
consider the serious consequences of
making false representation in mortgage
applications. Taking out a mortgage
based on a false income could result in
homeowners being unable to repay the
debt later on. Other consequences could
include; blacklisting against future product
purchases, or possibly being reported to the
police for investigation - potentially leading
to a criminal conviction and a prison
sentence.
Mike Haley, Chief Executive Officer of
Cifas, said, ‘It’s easy to assume that making
exaggerations to improve the chances of
your mortgage being approved is harmless,
but the reality is that this is fraud and the
consequences can be very serious.
‘Mortgage providers carry out rigorous
checks, and so exaggerating your income or
withholding any change of circumstances
could result in it being harder to obtain
financial products in the future such as
mortgages and loans. In more serious cases,
this kind of fraud could result in a hefty
fine or a prison sentence, or the possibility
of losing your home.’
Source Building Societies Association
Foster + Partners (2008), Blackfriars Station by Pascall+Watson
(2013), King’s Cross Station by John McAslan + Partners (2014),
and King’s Cross Square by Stanton Williams (2015). In 2019
their award-winning projects included Hackney Wick Station,
with London Legacy Development Corporation, by Landolt +
Brown; London Bridge Station by Grimshaw; and Ordsall Chord in
Manchester by BDP.
Chair of the RIBA Client of the Year jury, Jo Bacon, said:
“Network Rail have made considerable investment in projects to
transform rail infrastructure across the UK. With their incredible
record of commissioning RIBA chartered architects and their
commitment to the creation of high-quality civic spaces, Network
Rail is a worthy winner of the 2019 RIBA Client of the Year.”
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