Earlier this year CIH Cymru laid down a challenge for amateur snappers in the sector: help prove that social housing can be beautiful.
Setting out to bust the myth that social housing is only available in the dreary, concrete block style, entrants managed to not only fulfill the brief ‘beautiful buildings’, but presented the judges with the unenviable task of picking from the high calibre of photos submitted.
The judging panel, Martin Asquith, Alison Inman and Jason Wroe, selected Tracy James’ photo of Newydd Housing Association’s Thornley House in Barry as the pick of the entries. Tracy’s photograph won the honour of being the front cover of CIH Cymru’s Good Practice Compendium.
Five other photographers were also highly commended by the judges, Ben Hennessy, Gareth Thomas, Helen Matthews, Louise Blackwell and Rachel Gardiner-James.
Winner: Tracy James – Thornley House, Barry
Highly commended: Ben Hennessy – Tintern in late summer
Highly commended: Gareth Thomas – Cefn Coed, Scleddau, Fishguard
Highly commended: Helen Matthews – entrance porch, Princes Court, Cardiff
Highly commended: Louise Blackwell – residents outside Pentre Mawr, Conwy
Highly commended: Rachel Gardiner-James – Furnace Place, Briton Ferry
Think you’ve got what it takes to capture social housing’s best side? Watch out for next year’s competition in the run up to the Welsh Housing Awards.