Plaque of Merit

A plaque of merit is presented to a renovation project or new project in Wales which is of a high quality and design standard, and which costs no more than £750,000.

Special conditions of the Norah Dunphy Gold Medal for Architecture | Plaque of Merit

Plaque of Merit: A plaque of merit is presented to a renovation project, or a new project, in Wales that conveys excellence in following the principles of placemaking (placemaking) as recognized by the Charter and Placemaking Guidelines for Wales: (1) People and community, (2) Location, (3) Movement, (4) Mix of uses, (5) Streets and public spaces, (6) Identity. Projects must introduce a successful approach to environmental sustainability in the design approaches when considering location, building performance, decarbonisation, maintenance and end-of-life recycling. Reference must be made to the design methods that contribute to a campaign to present Wales as an innovative place, which supports cohesive communities, cultural wealth and heritage.

1. To apply, the project must be:
   • built and completed (or nearing completion) in Wales between 1 January 2023 and 1 March 2025
   • project led by an architect (Norah Dunphy Gold Medal) or an architect/landscape architect/urban designer (Plaque of Merit)
   • received the client's consent in order to deliver the project
2. How to apply: The following information must be submitted in order to successfully complete your application through the Eisteddfod's registration system before the closing date to include:
   • Information about the project
     • Project name
     • Name of project architect (or landscape architect/town designer for Plaque of Merit)
     • Gross internal area in square metres, and in the case of landscape design projects | mainly urban, 'gross' external area in square metres.
     • Contract value | construction cost of the project including construction and furnishing if done | supervision by the architect (excluding land costs and fees)
     • Type of agreement (for UK projects), date of planning approval and date of possession of the project
   • Name and address of architect's practice | studio
     • Project manager contact details | architect, client and contractor
     • Contact details for visits by the selectors
     • Press contact details (optional)
     • Photographer's contact details
     • If applicable, you should ensure agreement between all stakeholders on how the project should be credited if they are working in conjunction with another firm or architect
   • Project description: 500 words describing the project stating:
     • 'Brief' from the client/public project tender information
     • The architect/landscape architect/urban designer's response to the brief (for the Norah Dunphy Gold Medal this will be a design statement; for the Merit
     • Plaque it should explain how you went about following the Placemaking principles)
     • Location, site or relevant restrictions
     • Summary of the timetable
     • Constraints regarding the budget and the building programme
     • Sustainability statement: 200 words summarizing all the ways in which the project is sustainable
   • Key consultants: Refer to all key project consultants, e.g. Engineer | Structural Engineers, Engineer | Services Engineers, Architect | Landscape Architects etc., with their contact details. Consultants are recognized in press releases and on award certificates.
   • Images: Applicants are required to submit the following: (do not include company logos or text on any images)
     8 JPEG images, with a minimum width of | or a height of 1000px is a mix of external and internal photos (for the Norah Dunphy Gold Medal) of the project. Some of the pictures should convey the way the project relates to its context. A mix of wide shots and close-ups summarizing the day-to-day elements of the project. The author of each photograph must be acknowledged.
     • Location plan (showing the project in context, e.g. 1:1250)
     • Site plan (for Norah Dunphy Gold Medal and optionally for Plaque of Merit)
     • Ground floor plan (showing main entrance) and typical floor plan (for Norah Dunphy Gold Medal only)

Closing date: 3 March 2025 at 12 noon