AYA 2024 shortlists: Public and Social Housing Architect of the Year

Earlier this year BD announced all the architects who made it on to the shortlists for our prestigious annual Architect of the Year Awards.

Now we are shining the spotlight on each category in turn and publishing a selection of the images that impressed the judges.

This year’s judges include: Yẹmí Aládérun, head of development, Meridian Water, Enfield Council; Alexandra Andone, associate director, PRP; Amr Assaad, board director, Buckley Gray Yeoman; Lee Bennett, partner, design chair and school lead, Sheppard Robson; Sarah Cary, chief development officer Imperial College, White City Campus; Irene Craik, director, Levitt Bernstein; Alex Ely, founding director, Mae; Martyn Evans, creative director, LandsecU+I; Gavin Hale-Brown, director, Henley Halebrown; Tanvir Hasan, director emeritus, Donald Insall Associates; Lee Higson, board director, Eric Parry Architects; Nigel Hugill, chief executive, Urban & Civic; Kirsten Lees, managing partner, Grimshaw; Oliver Lowrie, director and founder, Ackroyd Lowrie; Anna Mansfield, director, Publica; Michelle McDowell, non-executive director, Civic; Ian McKnight, founding partner, Hall McKnight; John McRae, director and trustee, Orms; David Partridge, chairman, Related Argent; Sarah Robinson, asociate director, The King’s Foundation; Philippa Simpson, director for buildings and renewal, Barbican Centre; Kevin Singh, head, Manchester School of Architecture; Karl Singporewala, founder, Karl Singporewala Design Bureau; Jonathan Smales, founder and CEO, Human Nature; Elizabeth Smith, chairman and regional director, Purcell; Alan Stanton, principal director, Stanton Williams; Amin Taha, chairperson, Groupwork; Magali Thomson, project lead for placemaking, Great Ormond Street Hospital; Tatiana von Preussen, co-founder and director, vPPR; Jo Wright, director, Perkins&Will.

Today’s shortlist is for the category of Public and Social Housing Architect of the Year.

Grounded

The emerging practice has built engagement and social value into its standard project delivery and undertakes its own sustainability and carbon review at the end of each RIBA Stage. In Croydon, Grounded created Trellis Mews, a development of 12 socially rented homes on a former garage site. In Lancaster, it is currently working with residents and the council to develop a new future for the 1950s Mainway Estate.

Pollard Thomas Edwards

The practice’s approach is ‘placing people first, understanding their needs and designing to suit’. Its four submitted London projects include a RIBA Award-winning council infill housing on a post-war estate (Dover Court), a mixed-tenure development that serves as a case study for the Happy Homes social value toolkit (King Square), a retrofit of a 1930s estate (Barnsbury Estate) and 240 homes in the heart of Brixton (The Brixton Rec).

SKArchitects

The Southend-on-Sea practice has submitted two projects for local homeless charity HARP. Both provide residents recovering from homelessness with a safe and dignified home where they can be supported towards living independently. Bluebird renovates a terrace of properties and builds a Passivhaus mews at the rear of the site clad in variegated clay tiles. Bradbury Mansions refurbishes three terraced properties to provide 23 bedspaces.