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IBP online AGM and Journalism Awards shortlisting invitation

We will shortly be announcing the IBP National Journalism Awards 2022 shortlist alongside our Annual General Meeting (AGM). IBP members and non-members are invited to attend this online event on Thursday 13 October at 11am.

This will be your opportunity to discover the entire shortlist for these prestigious awards. In addition, we hope as many members as possible will be able to attend the AGM as we will be discussing changes of major significance.

As you will be aware, over the last year we have been undergoing some changes at IBP. We have been primarily looking at our purpose, our mission and the future structure of IBP, including how best to support journalists and communicators working in the built environment, as well as encouraging and supporting those hoping to work in our industry.  At this meeting, we will be launching our new mission and vision, and outlining our new structure as we move forward.

Members wishing to nominate any eligible member as an officer or member of the Board of Management, or put forward a resolution, should write to that effect to: Honorary Secretary, Cristie Hammond by email: internationalbuildingpress@gmail.com by Tuesday 11 October.

The online meeting will take place on Thursday 13 October at 11am, and last one hour. Click here to register.

Please do join us if you can as we are would like to count on your support as we start the important work to reimagine IBP.

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Martin Spring: An Appreciation

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Above: Martin was awarded a life time achievement award by IBP in 2011. The delight on his face is there for all to see.

 

 

For further details of funeral and memorial arrangements please email sarah.richardson@ubm.com

I first met Martin in the early 1980’s when I was the director of The Campaign for Traditional Housing. I was immediately attracted to his acerbic sense of humour, which lasted well into the digital age with his email critiques of the annual journalism awards. It was unanimous when IBP decided to give Martin a life time achievement award in 2011, only the fourth awarded in 47 years.

It was also a delight when Martin agreed to become a judge of the architecture and young journalist categories in 2013; As expected he brought his usual vast knowledge and forensic approach to the role, often ensuring his panel of judges worked well into overtime to achieve the right results!

I am most grateful to Martin’s friends and colleagues for the following shared memories.

Gerald Bowey

Denise Chevin, former editor, Building, remembers Martin

Those of us who worked and knew Martin Spring have been shocked and saddened to hear of his passing aged 70.
Martin was a much loved journalist with his own unique style which won him 14 IBP awards over his 33-year career as Building’s architectural editor. But above all, he was a gentle and humble man, possessed of a remarkably cheerful and sunny outlook on life, who lived and breathed his subject and imparted that enthusiasm to many others.

His architectural tours on Building days out, with their carefully selected pub stops along the way, were legendary – the intelligence and deep knowledge conveyed in his commentaries opening many colleagues’ eyes to unexpected facets of the subject.

And he was always happy to help and guide. Former Building colleague Jo Smit recalls the assistance he gave her when she began there: “Martin was a tremendous help, and gave me a much deeper understanding of what ‘good’ means in architecture.”

For myself, I remember being more than a little in awe of him when I joined Building as a novice technical writer. His wit and elegance of phrase and the thoroughness with which he tackled every writing assignment left a deep impression on me, as did his patient willingness to explain and educate- particularly over a few drinks at the local Docklands watering hole where the magazine was based at the time.

Says former colleague Graham Ridout: “Martin was as passionate about putting into words his love of building and architecture as he was about sharing thoughts and knowledge with others, especially those who were new to journalism or who were covering the subject for the first time. His encyclopaedic knowledge and the way he

explained things in that gentle, kind and helpful way was an inspiration to numerous colleagues, many of whom went on to be outstanding journalists.

“Martin was a true gentleman in both senses of the word and his passing is a sad loss to everyone who knew him or who was inspired by him."

Mark Leftly, another former colleague, also recalls his kindness to young, aspiring journalists. “He was exceptionally kind to me when I started out at Building, despite our age gap of 33 years. He pointed out what I was doing right, without prompting, at a time I was unsure of my work. My family got to know him too and will miss him just as dearly as we all will.”

In terms of his approach to architectural reviews, Thomas Lane, writing his obituary in Building, puts it well: “His rounded approach ensured his articles had something for everyone whether architect, contractor or cost consultant. He was always complimentary about the schemes he wrote about and was very supportive of emerging architects, sticking by these firms for many years

“His writing was rooted in the practical belief that architecture was principally about how well a building performed for occupiers, energy efficiency, procurement (including delivering on time and to budget), with style some way down the list. He wasn’t interested in chasing down the latest starchitect-designed triumph of style over substance; instead he preferred quiet considered buildings by the likes of Bennetts Associates, Cullinan Studio and Fielden Clegg Bradley.

“He was a great advocate of sustainability long before it became a mainstream concern and was also passionate about housing design. One of his specialities was the revisit, where he went back to a previously featured building some years later to see what occupiers 

thought of it, how it was holding up and how much energy it was using.”

Eleanor Young, RIBA Journal deputy editor agrees: ‘Martin operated in the journalistic crossover between construction and architecture but for those in architecture it was always clear where his preference lay, in the end result and how the designs got realised.”

Martin’s approach to architecture earned him an honorary RIBA Fellowship in 2003 and his ability to adopt a holistic approach to writing about buildings won him IBP awards not just in the architectural category but for the housing and construction categories too.

IBP Awards Night features large in the recollections of many of Martin’s colleagues. Says former editor Peter Bill: “I can see us all now, sat on the Building table at the IBP awards feeling anxious - except for Martin, who was always relaxed. The winners would be announced, and there would be fixed smiles and reluctant applause if anyone on a rival title won anything. Except from Martin, whose smile and applause was genuine.

“And rivals would share in that pleasure when Martin won – as he did with such regularity that it was almost taken for granted he would add to Building’s tally each year. Why? Because he was the best writer of his generation at providing an understanding of merits of architecture to sceptical readers of Building.”

Martin was certainly thorough, in everything he did – too thorough at times, with the consequence that some projects took an age – like refurbishing his own house in Highbury, where he happily lived without cupboard doors for years.

I remember him too for his mischievous sense of fun, as well as his other worldliness. He was never a conformist. He’d often regale us with stories of his time as squatter in Covent Garden in the 1960s. And there was his determination to travel everywhere on his beloved bike (even after one too many refreshments). His acerbic one-liners at the Christmas party also come quickly to mind, as does his cardinal sin of wearing double denim. He never took himself too seriously, and remained resolutely young at heart. He will be very sorely missed by his many friends and family.

Peter Murray, friend and colleague, writes:

Martin was a lovely man. Kind and gentle, he nevertheless exhibited an inner steel and stubbornness when occasion required. I knew Martin almost all my working life: in the early 70s he came to work at Architectural Design where I was Technical Editor under the redoubtable Monica Pidgeon. He had started to study architecture at the AA but, like me, had found writing about it more to his liking than doing it.

I vividly remember that when he arrived in the AD office he had recently had a nasty fall from his bike and had gravel embedded in the side of his face. The accident didn’t put him off riding and my mental picture of Martin is of him with his trusty steel tourer with drop handlebars and old fashioned saddlebag. The gravel faded but never fully disappeared.

Monica Pidgeon was not an easy person to work with; she could be volatile and pretty blunt, but Martin held his own and they worked well together after I left to join BD through the difficult period of the three day week, plummeting revenues and subscriptions.

At the time AD was the leading - probably the only -  UK architectural magazine that was taking building sustainability issues seriously. There were regular issues on energy conservation (CO2 problems had not yet been identified), on solar energy and recycling focusing on the work of heroic figures like Alex Pike at Cambridge and Gerry Foley at the AA and with close links to Friends of the Earth and writers like E F Schumacher (Small is Beautiful).

In 1975 the owners of AD, the Standard Catalogue Company were keen to sell the loss making magazine and Martin got together with the assistant editor Haig Beck and relaunched it. It was not a happy partnership - they joined up with the publisher Andreas Papadakis, disagreed on direction and Martin left, feeling cheated by Beck and Papadakis under whom the magazine was transformed into the bible of Post Modernism.

Martin exited to the more stable and pragmatic environment of Building where he remained for 33 years until 2009. He regularly produced high quality reportage and comment on new buildings, as well as revisiting older ones to see how they were working. He was a craftsman. His comment was measured, his style was, like the man, quiet but incisive and his analyses forensic. He never lost his interest in sustainability and the belief that buildings were to be used rather than just looked at. He was a faithful member of IBP and won 14  Journalism Awards during his career at Building

Ron Sidell, Founder Partner, Sidell Gibson Ltd adds:

How does one calculate the immense contribution made to the world of architecture by Martin - the consummate reviewer and critic.  Knowing him as I did for a period of some forty years I came to appreciate not only the exceptional calibre of his writing, but his enthusiasm for new adventures.  It was with great pleasure that we presented the IBP award for Architectural Writer of the Year, on several occasions, to this modest and self-effacing man.  It would never have occurred to him how hard an act he would be to follow.

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About ibp

International Building Press (IBP) is a membership organisation that brings together journalists and communications professionals involved in the construction, architecture, housing and property sectors. IBP provides its members with unparalleled opportunities to share experiences, network and further their careers through a calendar of events and two prestigious annual awards schemes.

Membership is open to national, regional, business and technical journalists, press relations and communications professionals and to employees and freelancers alike. Current members include many of the best known professionals on the field IBP’s influential annual journalism awards celebrate the best work by individual journalists working in construction, architecture and property, as well as recognising the overall achievements of print publications and of digital products and services.

Sponsored by a range of major companies and institutions, supporters’ logos the IBP Awards offer substantial financial prizes as well as prestige to the winners. The awards are judged by journalists in a range of fields and by industry experts and are keenly watched by potential employers across the sector. The annual communications awards recognise both the best work by individuals and the most successful campaigns by in-house departments and consultants.

The face-to-face judging of the awards chaired by editors in the industry gives shortlisted entrants the chance to get in front of some of the most influential journalists in the field and to showcase their work. The IBP futures group holds regular events for members and guests specifically aimed at ambitious journalists who want the opportunity to meet and hear from experts about how best to position themselves in the rapidly changing media environment. These events are equally valuable for members working in the communications sector to learn more about the constantly developing technology that drives change and journalists’ need for accurate, well researched information. IBP also arranges press briefings, symposia, visits, social occasions and a variety of other events. Founded in 1969, IBP is administered.by a board, elected from the membership each year.

Join IBP

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Communication & PR Awards 2014

Videos

Communication and PR Awards 2014 - Clare Barrett Introduction
IBP Communication and PR Awards 2014 - Presentations
Some 90 members and guests came together to celebrate this year’s winners of the Communication and PR Awards held at McQueen in Shoreditch. Claer Barrett filled this year’s guest speaker slot, with a run down of her career and her latest appointment as Senior Reporter for FT.com, see stand alone video, while again presenting this year’s crop of nomination

Downloads

comms-awards-2014

Read the fully story and results in the ibp Communication Awards and PR Bulletin 2014

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IBP Journalism Awards 2015: Full Results, Nominations and Entries

 

Click on any of the arrows next to a nominated journalist's name to access and view their entry.

 

The overall winner of the title of Journalist of the Year was David Hatcher
 
His winning article is available to view under Scoop of the Year.

 

CLICK HERE to download the full report in the IBP Awards 2015 Bulletin

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ARCHITECTURE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Rory Olcayto, Architects' Journal - Winner
Owen Pritchard, The Architects' Journal
Eleanor Young, RIBA Journal

CONSTRUCTION/INFRASTRUCTURE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Daniel Kemp, Construction News - Winner
Tom Fitzpatrick, Construction News
Tom Ravenscroft, Construction Manager

NEWS REPORTER OF THE YEAR

Will Hurst, Architects' Journal - Winner
Pete Apps, Inside Housing
Hannah Brenton, Property Week

FEATURE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing - Winner
Nick Duxbury, Inside Housing
James Pickford, Financial Times

MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR (NON-WEEKLY)
Sponsored by The Chartered Architects’ Company

Construction Manager
Landscape

BUSINESS/FINANCIAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Jack Sidders, Estates Gazette - Winner
Sophia Furber, SNL Financial
Steve Menary, Housebuilder/Freelance

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WRITER OF THE YEAR

Hannah Brenton, for Property Week - Winner
Chris Berkin, Estates Gazette
Rhiannon Bury, Property Week

HOUSING/RESIDENTIAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Hannah Brenton, for Property Week - Winner
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
Heather Spurr, Inside Housing

MULTI-MEDIA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Laura Mark, Architects' Journal - Winner
Nick Duxbury & Jess McCabe, Inside Housing
Heather Spurr, Inside Housing

'NEW' JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Amber Rolt, Estates Gazette - Winner
Guy Montague-Jones, Property Week
Charlie Schouten, Construction News

DIGITAL SERVICE

Inside Housing - Winner
Architects' Journal
Construction News

SCOOP OF THE YEAR

David Hatcher, Real Estate Capital - Winner
Joanna Bourke, Estates Gazette/Evening Standard
David Parsley, Property Week

MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR (WEEKLY)
sponsored by Marley Eternit

Building
Construction News

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IBP Communication and PR Awards 2016: Full Results

 
Click on any of the arrows next to a nominated company's name to access and view their entry.

BEST COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN 2016

WINNER: Goodfellow Communications
CAMPAIGN: Stone Stories: Martin Ashley Architects

BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN 2016

WINNER: London Communications Agency
CAMPAIGN: King’s Cross Pond Club

 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Holistic
CAMPAIGN: Oktra: growth through online and social media

BEST IN-HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM 2016

WINNER: Colliers International
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Galliford Try

 

BEST PR CONSULTANCY TEAM 2016

WINNER: London Communications Agency

YOUNG COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR 2016

WINNER: Amelie Barrau
Press Officer, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff

IBP CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR 2016

Winner: Goodfellow Communications
Stone Stories: Martin Ashley Arch

IBP COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR 2016

WINNER: Alan Jones
Galliford Try

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IBP Journalism Awards 2016: Full Results, Nominations and Entries

1

Click on any of the arrows next to a nominated journalist's name to access and view their entry.

 

310b5840The overall winner of the title of Journalist of the Year was Will Hurst (right)
 
His winning articles are available to view under News and Scoop of the Year categories.

 

CLICK HERE to view the video of The National Journalism Awards 2016 - Introduction

CLICK HERE to view the video of The National Journalism Awards 2016

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ARCHITECTURE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Isabelle Priest, RIBA Journal - Winner
Jon Astbury, The Architectural Review
Will Hurst, The Architects’ Journal

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CONSTRUCTION / INFRASTRUCTURE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Stephen Cousins, Freelance - Winner
Robyn Wilson, Construction News

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NEWS REPORTER OF THE YEAR

Will Hurst, Architects' Journal - Winner
Pete Apps, Inside Housing
Heather Spurr, Inside Housing

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FEATURE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Adam Branson, Property Week - Winner
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing
Daniel Kemp, Construction News

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MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR (NON-WEEKLY)
Sponsored by The Chartered Architects’ Company

New Civil Engineer - Winner

The Architects’ Journal

Planning in London

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BUSINESS/FINANCIAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Guy Montague-Jones, Property Week - Winner
Joanna Bourke, London Evening Standard
Charlie Schouten, Construction News

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COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WRITER OF THE YEAR

Joanna Bourke, London Evening Standard - Winner

 

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HOUSING/RESIDENTIAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Pete Apps, Inside Housing - Winner
Hugo Cox, Financial Times
Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing

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MULTI-MEDIA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Laura Mark, Architects' Journal - Winner
Daniel Kemp, Construction News

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'NEW' JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Katherine Smale, New Civil Engineer - Winner
Yoosof Farah, Building
Samuel Horti, Property Week

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DIGITAL SERVICE

Construction News - Winner
Architects' Journal

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SCOOP OF THE YEAR

Will Hurst, The Architects’ Journal - Winner
Pete Apps, Sophie Barnes & Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing - Highly Commended
Dawn Foster, The Guardian

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MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR (WEEKLY)
sponsored by Marley Eternit

Building - Winner

Inside Housing

Property Week

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IBP Communication and PR Awards 2017: Full Results

BEST BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Copper Consultancy
CAMPAIGN: ‘Beauty is in the Eye of the Gasholder’

BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN

WINNER: Edson Evers
CAMPAIGN: ‘Selling with a Star Blogger’

BEST IN-HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Colliers International, PR/Communications & Digital Team

 

 

BEST PR CONSULTANCY TEAM OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Goodfellow Communications

 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: London Communications Agency

 

YOUNG COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Declan Bennett, London Communications Agency

 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Amy Morrison, Edson Evers

 

 

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IBP Journalism Awards 2017: Full Results, Nominations and Entries

Click on any of the arrows next to a nominated journalist's name to access and view their entry.

 

The overall winner of the title of Journalist of the Year was Pete Apps, writing for Inside Housing (right)

His winning articles are available to view under News and Scoop of the Year categories.

Videos

CLICK HERE to view the video of The National Journalism Awards 2017 - Opening remarks

CLICK HERE to view the video of The National Journalism Awards 2017 - Peter Murray's Speech

CLICK HERE to view the video of The National Journalism Awards 2017 - Peter Murray's Speech

ARCHITECTURE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Hugh Pearman, RIBA Journal - Winner
Manon Mollard, The Architectural Review
Isabelle Priest, RIBA Journal


CONSTRUCTION / INFRASTRUCTURE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Katherine Smale, New Civil Engineer - Winner
James Kenny, Construction Manager
Jack Simpson, Construction News


NEWS REPORTER OF THE YEAR

Pete Apps, Inside Housing - Winner
Sophie Barnes, Inside Housing
Richard Waite, The Architects' Journal


FEATURE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Daniel Kemp, Construction News- Winner
Isabelle Priest, Riba Journal
Amber Rolt, Estates Gazette

 

BUSINESS/FINANCIAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Guy Montague-Jones, Property Week - Winner
Peter Apps, Inside Housing
Joanna Bourke, London Evening Standard

HOUSING/RESIDENTIAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Sophie Barnes, Inside Housing - Winner
Pete Apps, Inside Housing
Gavriel Hollander, Inside Housing

MULTI-MEDIA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Martin Hilditch, Inside Housing - Winner
Simon Aldous, The Architects’ Journal
Marcus Fairs, Dezeen


'NEW' JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Nathaniel Barker, Inside Housing - Winner
Lucy Alderson, Construction News
Luke Barratt, Inside Housing

SCOOP OF THE YEAR

Pete Apps, Inside Housing - Winner
Mark Handsford, New Civil Engineer
Jack Simpson, Construction News


MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR (WEEKLY)
sponsored by Marley Eternit

 Inside Housing- Winner
 Construction News
 Property Week


MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR (NON-WEEKLY)
Sponsored by The Chartered Architects’ Company

 New London Quarterly - Winner
Construction Manager
Planning in London


DIGITAL SERVICE

Dezeen
The Architects’ Journal
The B1M