Community Gateway Association (CGA) and Preston Council received 74 entries for Gateway Goes For Guild from Japan, Hong Kong and across Europe.

The project will see "energy efficient, affordable homes" built between Meadow Street and St Paul's Road, Deepdale.

The site was once home to sheltered housing which was controversially demolished by CGA in 2008 after being deemed "unacceptable" for the 21st century.

The four shortlisted teams are Conran & Partners, London; KOSI Architects, Chichester; Original Field of Architecture, Oxford; and RCKarchitects, London.

A spokesman for the scheme, which is being managed by the Royal Institute of British Architects, said: "Architects were invited to develop innovative design proposals for a social housing development in the centre of Preston, where people would aspire to live. The winning scheme, with an emphasis on design quality and energy efficiency, will be a project demonstrating that affordable does not equate to ordinary and to act as an exemplar for future social housing developments in Preston and elsewhere."

Preston Mayor, Coun Keith Sedgewick, visited Gateway's headquarters at Deltic House, West Strand Road, to meet the tenants' committee and view designs.

He said: "It was over-aweing really, the response was absolutely marvellous."

The scheme will consist of two, three and four bedroom houses and bungalows for rent and will form part of the city's Guild celebrations in 2012, for which the theme is innovation and creativity. Each of the shortlist will attend a final interview on December 8 to discuss their proposals and receive an honorarium of £3,000.

Before work starts, a series of consultation days and events will be held with the public.

It is anticipated the scheme, within the St Ignatius Conservation Area, will be built in time for the main Guild events in mid-2012, subject to funding.



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