We reviewed some of the most significant new buildings in the UK in 2024 - take a look at what we had to say

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BD’s building studies go beyond the surface to uncover the design processes, contextual influences, and architectural ambitions behind some of the most compelling projects of 2024. From innovative council housing to the reinvention of iconic structures, these studies offer a detailed exploration of buildings that are helping to define the present and pointing towards future forms of practice.

This year, Satish Jassal Architect’s Rowan Court emerged as a standout example of council housing, restoring a sense of place to an under-utilised edge site and demonstrating how architecture can repair and elevate the urban fabric. Meanwhile, the refurbishment of Richard Seifert’s Space House celebrated 1960s modernism, giving a neglected icon a new lease of life.

The Serpentine Pavilion provided a platform for Mass Studies to reimagine the interplay between context and concept, delivering a bold yet sensitive design. Witherford Watson Mann’s River Wing for a Cambridge college struck a delicate balance between contemporary architecture and tradition.

Below, we’ve curated some of BD’s most insightful building studies from 2024. These projects highlight the diversity and ambition of UK architecture today, offering inspiration and lessons for the profession.

Take a closer look at the buildings that shaped the year.

Rowan Court: a blueprint for council housing that repairs the urban fabric and elevates its context

Richard Chivers

Source: Richard Chivers

Satish Jassal Architect’s Rowan Court helps to restore a sense of place for an under-utilised edge site on an existing council estate, writes Ben Flatman.

Space House: 1960s icon gets another chance to shine

Gareth Gardner

Source: Gareth Gardner

Centrepoint’s little sister was realised by the same architect and developer and built with similar pioneering techniques. Neglected for the past four decades, a recent refurbishment restores and celebrates the building’s groundbreaking architectural qualities, writes Thomas Lane.

A harmonious blend of context and concept: Mass Studies reimagines the Serpentine Pavilion

Iwan Baan

Source: Iwan Baan

Mass Studies’ innovative design for this year’s Serpentine Pavilion reimagines traditional concepts, blending contextual sensitivity with conceptual boldness, writes Ben Flatman.

Under The Big Roof… Charity unites generations and nurtures skills that last a lifetime

David Butler

Source: David Butler

Forest School Camps required a new hub where volunteers of all ages could meet and work together. Mole Architects and Invisible Studio delivered, writes Ben Flatman.

London College of Fashion strikes a pose with new campus by Allies & Morrison

Simon Menges

Source: Simon Menges

The London College of Fashion has brought its six separate sites under one roof for the first time in more than 100 years. Thomas Lane reports.

Jankes Barn by Lynch Architects: ‘We like to call it a barn non-conversion’

Jo Bernstein

Source: Jo Bernstein

An Essex barn is given a remarkable new lease of life, by reinforcing its relationship with craft and landscape, writes Ben Flatman.

River Wing by Witherford Watson Mann: ‘This is the closest we’ve come to the structure being the architecture’

Philip Vile

Source: Philip Vile

A Cambridge college seeks to revitalise its historic buildings while respecting tradition and heritage, writes Ben Flatman.

A decade in the making: Norton Folgate’s controversial redevelopment unveiled

Still Moving

Source: Still Moving

Blossom Street was the focus of a vitriolic planning battle. But an architectural team led by AHMM has confounded the fears of Spitalfields residents by sensitively restoring many of the old buildings.