Remaking Beamish Wins Sustainable Built Environment Award
February 20, 2026
Remaking Beamish has received the Sustainable Built Environment Award at the County Durham Environmental Awards 2026, recognising the project’s commitment to preserving heritage and the environment.
Organised by the Environment and Climate Change Partnership, the County Durham Environment Awards shine a spotlight on the remarkable passion and dedication within our region for preserving the natural and built environment, celebrating sustainable innovation and design.
Remaking Beamish was recognised as a standout sustainable project, seamlessly blending heritage conservation with innovative design. By nurturing the past through thoughtful craftmanship and modern environmental techniques, the museum's new exhibits have captivated visitors of all ages.
SPACE Architects are proud to have helped bring the vision for Beamish’s new exhibits, the 1950s town and Georgian landscape, to life. Considering the planet at every turn, SPACE helped ensure contemporary performance standards were met while paying homage to the site’s historic character. From insulated fabric and passive heating to Air Source Heat Pump driven district heating systems, every detail contributes to efficient operations. Individual Air source heat pumps and underfloor heating now also heat the Georgian holiday cottages, reducing carbon emissions.
“We are so thrilled to have been awarded the Sustainable Built Environment Award. The project shows how heritage regeneration can deliver design excellence, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen community identity. This award is testament to all the hard work and drive for sustainable practices throughout the Remaking Beamish project, helping ensure we safeguard our region’s future, as well as its past.”
Lisa Wilkinson
Sustainability Manager at Beamish Museum
Reusing existing buildings proved a powerful way to reduce the carbon footprint of Remaking Beamish. Salvaged materials helped cut embodied carbon in the Georgian Pockerley Exhibits, while traditional breathable construction combined with modern enhancements, limecrete floors, hemp and lime plaster, and sympathetic insulation, enabling lasting durability and comfort for generations to come.
The Remaking Beamish project, made possible by support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, marks the most ambitious capital development in the museum’s history, an addition that will inspire and inform visitors for years to come.
We want to extend our congratulations to Beamish Museum, the SPACE Architects team as well as the full group of consultant and contractors who contributed to this achievement.
