See the full list of AYA winners
Feilden Fowles was named Architect of the Year tonight at the 2021 AYA celebrations hosted by Building Design.
The practice, which was founded in 2009 by Fergus Feilden and Edmund Fowles, has enjoyed a meteoric rise. Just five years ago it won Building Design’s Young Architect of the Year Award (YAYA).
The judges praised the confident yet sensitive way in which the practice’s work responds to a wide diversity of contexts.
Feilden Fowles picked up this year’s big trophy as well as being named Public Building Architect of the Year, against stiff competition, at Building Design’s prestigious annual awards ceremony which was back in real life after moving online last year because of the pandemic.
Co-founder Edmund Fowles said: “Winning YAYA was formative for the practice. As students we always looked up to the practices that had won it. Going from being Young Architect of the Year five years ago to winning Public Building Architect and Architect of the Year tonight is amazing.
”It’s really wonderful, particularly coming out of the pandemic. We’ve only just reassembled our team in the studio, so it’s lovely to be bringing everyone back on such a high point.”
The Westminster Park Plaza Hotel was buzzing with architects, clients and guests who were entertained by Marcus Brigstocke, the host for the night. It was also a celebration of 50 years of Building Design.
The AYAs, now in their 17th year, are highly regarded in the industry as the only awards that reward practices for a body of work rather than for individual projects.
Among the night’s other winners was this year’s Young Architect of the Year, Ebba whose founder Benni Allan said they were thrilled.
LETI and its founder, Clara Bagenal George, won the Leadership Award for their pioneering work to put the UK on a path to a net-zero carbon future. LETI (the London Energy Transformation Initiative) has built a credible cross-industry network influencing policy and creating practical guidance. The judges said LETI has had considerable traction with clients and as a result was responsible for effecting real change.
BPTW was named employer of the year, with a highly commended for Liverpool’s Harrison Stringfellow which also picked up the Social Impact Award.
Meanwhile, the editors were so impressed by the entries for the Stratford Design Challenge, our Building [Re]Design 50th anniversary competition, that we decided to honour all the finalists at the AYAs.
The overall winner was Sanaa Shaikh of Native Studio for Rhythm Alley Stratford, an imaginative proposal to reclaim spaces in the town centre for disenfranchised young people.
And James Prior of Origin 3 Studio was highly commended for East Meets West, a proposal to stitch pedestrian routes and a public square back through the centre of Stratford.
ALL THE WINNERS:
ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Feilden Fowles
PUBLIC BUILDING ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Feilden Fowles
Highly commended: Carmody Groarke
HOUSING ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Henley Halebrown
REFURBISHMENT ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios
SUSTAINABILITY ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Cullinan Studio
OFFICE ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Stiff & Trevillion
HIGHER EDUCATION ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Allies and Morrison
EDUCATION (NURSERY TO 6TH FORM) ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: AHR
INDIVIDUAL HOUSE ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: McLaren Excell
Highly commended: Coffey Architects
PUBLIC REALM ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: East Architecture
INFRASTRUCTURE ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Moxon
INTERIOR ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Buckley Gray Yeoman
YOUNG ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR (YAYA)
Winner: Ebba Architects
LEADERSHIP AWARD
Winner: LETI (London Energy Transformation Initiative) and Clara Bagenal George
SOCIAL VALUE ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR
Winner: Harrison Stringfellow Architects
EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
Winner: BPTW
Highly commended: Harrison Stringfellow
STRATFORD DESIGN CHALLENGE – BUILDING [RE]DESIGN
Winner: Sanaa Shaikh of Native Studio for Rhythm Alley Stratford
Highly commended: James Prior of Origin 3 Studio for East Meets West
![0046-Rhythm Alley Stratford - Building [Re]Design](https://d3rcx32iafnn0o.cloudfront.net/Pictures/480xany/8/2/5/1914825_0046rhythmalleystratford_102538.jpg)
See the rest of our AYA coverage:
>> Ebba crowned Young Architect of the Year 2021
>> Winners of Stratford Design Challenge announced
Judges
The judges included: Philippa Simpson, director of design, estate and public programme at the V&A, Stuart Cade, director of last year’s Architect of the Year Mica, Siu-Pei Choi, senior design manager at Wates Group, Matthew Wells, director of engineer Technicker, Matthew Lloyd of Matthew Lloyd Architects, and previous YAYA winner Stefanie Rhodes of Gatti Routh Rhodes.
The Stratford Design Challenge judges included Pam Alexander, director of London Legacy Development Corporation, Phil Askew, landscape and placemaking director at Peabody, Melissa Dowler, director of Bell Phillips Architects, Kathryn Firth, partner in FPdesign, an former chief of design at the LLDC, Lanre Gbolade, production innovation lead at L&Q and co-founder of Gbolade Design Studio, Tom Holbrook, founding partner of 5th Studio, Kay Hughes, director of design at HS2 Ltd and the former head of design at the Olympic Delivery Authority, Roland Karthaus, founding director of Matter Architecture, Claire McKeown, project director of V&A East, Simon Tonks, senior associate at RSHP, Leanne Tritton, founder and managing director of ING Media, and Keith Waller, development director of Costain and programme director of the government’s Construction Innovation Hub.
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