York Design Awards judges' visit takes in Hiscox, York Art Gallery - and the new animal management centre at Askham Bryan College

They're completely relaxed - the caiman, that is, not the architects - and indifferent to the human beings clustering to look at them.

It is safe to say the architects - all members of the judging panel for this year's York Design Awards - are anything but indifferent to this extraordinary new building, however.

The building is the first phase of what will ultimately be a 'conservation and wildlife park' that will mainly be used to train students in animal management, but which will also be open to the public.

The series of aquaria and glass cages where the caiman live open off one side of a long corridor. Next to the caiman are some poison arrow frogs - and further along small mammals. Walk along this corridor, says architect David Spencer, and you're effectively walking through evolution: from the fish, to amphibians, then reptiles, and ultimately mammals.

From the ceiling of the corridor hang giant figures: including a representation of a frogman, arranged as though swimming and seeming to peer at the people passing below as though they are the sea creatures he's observing.

The frogman hanging from the ceiling of a corridor at Askham Bryan College

Behind the aquaria are the animal management rooms themselves, where college staff look after the creatures on display - and where Askham Bryan students will be taught the techniques of animal management. This isn't intended just as a zoo, don't forget - it's principally a place of learning.

The whole building has been designed with a slight kink in it, so it follows the contours of the raised ridge of land - a glacial moraine - on which it stands. It looks southwards over a large, grassy slope which will one day be a meerkat enclosure towards the A64 in the distance.

The windows of the first floor classrooms are protected from too much sunlight by a 'brise soleil' - a collection of shutters shaped like aircraft ailerons which can be turned to increase or decrease the natural light. On the building's south-facing side, they're organised horizontally. On the north-facing side, meanwhile, they're arranged vertically, like a series of bars that camouflage the shape of the building. As a final flourish, in front of the building stands a large sculpture of a zebra, its body fashioned out of bronze-coloured strips of metal.

In some ways, admits architect Nicola Rutt, a member of the York Design Awards judging panel, there are almost too many ideas crammed into this one building. "But they have managed to do a lot on a tight budget," she says. "And it makes a great facility for learning."

A fish-themed artwork at the new animal management centre

The new animal management centre at Askham Bryan was just one of 30 new or restored buildings, developments and public spaces the judges were visiting during the course of a two-day inspection of entries for this year's awards.

Other sites they were inspecting included the new Hiscox building on Peaseholme Green; Shambles market; the restored John Carr stand at York Racecourse; York Art Gallery; King's Square; the new construction and skills centre at York College; and the newly-restored Walmgate Bar.

The Hiscox building

It was one of the smallest projects that caused one of the biggest stirs on the first day of visits, however - the Your Bike Shed café and cycle repair workshop at the top end of Micklegate.

"It is just gorgeous," admitted head judge Julian Bicknell. "There's a wonderful lack of self-consciousness about the design, and the bike shop itself is absolutely exquisite."

"When we went down into the basement we were just delighted," added Nicola Rutt. "All that was missing was the jazz quartet," agreed Mr Bicknell.

The Your Bike Shed café on Micklegate

Another project singled out for praise was Le Tour Way, the council-managed development of 27 mixed homes on the site of the former Beckfield Lane tip.

There's a mix of one, two and three-bed houses and flats grouped around a cul-de-sac. From the outside, the terraced houses look tall and narrow. But they're pleasantly finished in brick, with large timber 'sails' to break up the design. And the council had learned from feedback on an earlier scheme at Archer Close in Clifton, admitted Andy Kerr, the authority's housing strategy manager. Every effort had been made to increase the amount of space inside, and add storage.

The judges got to see this for themselves, when the owner of one three-bed terrace invited them in. The rooms were large and spacious, and flooded with light. And there were storage spaces and cupboards everywhere.

"It's like the Tardis!" exclaimed Nicola Rutt, climbing up to the third floor of the house, which featured a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom.

One of the things the judges liked about Le Tour Way was the way council properties and houses sold on the open market rubbed shoulders with each-other.

The judges at Le Tour Way

You'd be much happier in one of these homes than in some much more expensive homes they had visited, head judge Julian Bicknell said. "It's a nice little community, granny next door, everybody looking out for each-other."

Good design, it turns out, isn't all about being flash. It is about making the most out of a limited budget, too - and creating places where people want to live an work...

Vote for your favourite

The York Design Awards, which aim to celebrate and encourage good design in York, are now in their 10th year.

This year, 30 projects are up for awards, ranging from small residential developments to conservation projects such as Walmgate Bar, new university buildings, offices such as the Hiscox building, the redeveloped York Art Gallery, and 'public spaces' such as King's Square and Shambles market.

After visiting sites this week, judges will deliberate, then award winners will be announced during an award evening at the Ron Cooke Hub at the University of York on June 22.

As usual this year, many of the projects will also be entering for the Press People's Award - a special award voted on by readers of the Press.

All entries up for this award will be on show in a special display at the York Explore Library from June 6-10. We will also feature them here on our website in June, together with instructions on how you can vote for your favourite.

Watch this space...