Beard Elspeth

Elspeth Beard has won numerous awards, starting with the ones she received for her first solo project, the Munstead Water Tower which is currently her home. This hundred-year-old building had been derelict for decades when she took the huge gamble of buying it at auction without planning permission or listed building consent. Circumstances dictated that she had to move in when it was barely habitable, but after seven years' hard labour the quality of her work can be judged from the numerous magazine articles and TV programmes which have featured the tower, including Channel 4 TV's Grand Designs. To date, the Munstead Water Tower has won no fewer than five architectural awards. The building was awarded The Surrey Historic Buildings Trust Award in 1993, The Downland Design Award in 1994, The RIBA Regional Architectural Award in 1994 and only last year The Surrey Historic Buildings Trust 25th Anniversary Best Conservation Award.