2024 Design Awards Summer Gala

Gathering at the Royal College of Physicians on 12 June 2024, the AIA UK Chapter celebrated its annual Excellence in Design Awards. This year the chapter is also celebrating its 30th anniversary of serving the design community so the awards ceremony was combined with the annual summer social to become an action-packed gala event.

The evening began with a tour of the Grade I listed building by Sir Denys Lasdun, and the registration for places filled up quickly with eager attendees. Happily the guide was able to accommodate extra guests as a remarkable and unexpected number of punctual participants chose to walk the varied interiors and landscape of the Lasdun design.

Taylor Rogers, the current AIA UK President, was the evening’s emcee, first introducing Margherita Giannoni, from event sponsor Iris Ceramic Group who shared their latest artistic collaborations and invited all guests to the Old Street showroom. In front of a packed house, Taylor then led the jury members and representatives in presenting the 2024 Excellence in Design Awards - see the full list of recipients below and for further information on the jury and their comments on the winning projects navigate HERE. 

A reception followed in the bright evening of the garden, with drinks, canapes and the traditional summer raffle hosted by Michael Lischer. Prizes were donated by chapter sponsor Herman Miller which included a wide range of design items as well as the much coveted top prize of a Herman Miller Aeron Chair. As guests left the party they were invited to collect an AIA UK 30th Anniversary tote bag designed by Fiona Edwards and filled with gifts from sponsors Iris Ceramica and Axalta. 

It proved to be a memorable and joyous night together - the chapter was glad to provide a forum for members and non-members, jury and award recipients, sponsors and design enthusiasts to mingle in a beautiful setting in central London. Attendees lingered long after the close of the awards ceremony to socialize and take in the fresh summer air. 

Our thanks go out to everyone who made the gala event possible and we send a hearty congratulations to all those honored this year!

Large Projects Winner and Exemplary Performance in Sustainability Winner

Tower Hamlets Town Hall, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Photography by Tim Soar

Photography by Tim Soar

Large Projects - Commendation

Urbanest, Hopkins Architects

Photography by Will Scott

Photography by Airey Spaces

Medium Projects Winner and Exemplary Performance in Sustainability Winner

Collège Amadou Hampaté Bâ, Article 25

Photography by Toby Pear

Photography by Toby Pear

Medium Projects - Commendation

The Blue by Just Inn, Tszwai So

Photography by Yu Zhi Lin

Photography by Yu Zhi Lin

Medium Projects - Commendation

Young V&A, De Matos Ryan & AOC Architecture

Photography by Hufton and Crow

Photography by David Parry

Small Projects - Winner

Ardoch, Moxon Architects

Photography by Simon Kennedy

Photography by Simon Kennedy

Small Project - Commendation

The Little Big House, Knox Bhavan Architects

Photography by Edmund Sumner

Photography by Edmund Sumner

The Slideshow below of Design Awards presentation, reception and raffle, were taken by our event photographer Agnese Sanvito.

Written by Katharine Storr, AIA

AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards 2016 - Jury Announced

AIA UK Excellence in Design Jury 2016:
 

• Armstrong Yakubu                   Foster & Partners

• Charlotte Skene Catling          Skene Catling de la Pena

• Michel Mossessian                   Mossessian Architecture

• Alex Lifschutz                           Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands            

• Amy Frearson                          Dezeen

• Fred Grier                                AIA UK President

• Sharon Jones                           Desso

For more information on how to enter, click here.

AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards - Call For Entries Announced

For over 20 years, The American Institute of Architects UK Chapter Excellence in Design Awards programme has proven highly valued by architects as they confer trans-Atlantic recognition for design excellence.

Professional entries are sought from architects, industrial designers, urban planners, landscape architects and interior designers based in Britain, and from around the world for completed projects in the UK.

In past years, this broad mix has resulted in winning projects from, among others, Haworth Tompkins, David Chipperfield Architects, Sauerbruch Hutton, Rick Mather Architects, Zaha Hadid Architects, Ian Simpson Architects, Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Edwin Cullinan, Allies & Morrison Architects, Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, Grimshaw Architects, Eric Parry Architects and Eva Jiricna Architects.

Starting in 2015, the programme opened a Young Architect category, with design directors under 40 years-of-age, to encourage and reward work by a new generation of architects.

In parallel with the Professional and Young Architect awards, the chapter also recognises future talent through the Noel Hill Student Travel Award. With the generous support of Laufen, each year this program awards each applicant with a travel grant of £1000. 

The winners will be announced at the Awards Gala on Monday 18th April, held this year at the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Please see here for more details on how to enter.

AIA UK 2015 EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN AWARDS - FREDERICK GRIER

The 21st Annual AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards was held on Tuesday, 28th April, at the Magazine Restaurant in the Zaha Hadid designed Serpentine Sackler Gallery. During the champagne and cocktail reception prior to the awards ceremony, over 120 distinguished guests joined the chapter in recognizing the terrific efforts and astonishing talent on display throughout the restaurant. 

This year’s jury was headed by Fred Manson, Associate Director of Heatherwick Studio, and included a versatile mix of members including Brett Steele, Director of AA School of Architecture and Owen Pritchard, Technical Editor of Architects’ Journal. Mr Manson, along with members of the jury including Alison Brooks, Founding Director of Alison Brooks Architects, conferred certificates and accolades upon well-known architects, emerging architects and students alike.

This year, for the first time ever, AIA UK Design Awards opened a category for young architects, with design directors under 40 years-of-age, to encourage and reward work by a new generation of architects. The jury awarded this prize to The Lee Centre by Feilden Fowles for its outstanding use of materials and interior spaces. Edmund Fowles and Fergus Feilden enthusiastically accepted the certificate and honour bestowed from the jury.

“The enjoyable task of judging the AIA UK Awards demonstrated the range of excellent work from the familiar to the unknown in Britain today. The jury judged the digital entries which favoured projects with clear, strong forms. Since the selection was made on the basis of images, perhaps the award should be given equally to the photographers.” 

– Fred Manson, head juror

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Young Architect Award

Photography: © Henrietta Williams

Feilden Fowles Architects – The Lee Centre, Ralph Allen School, Bath, UK (completed 2013)

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In parallel with the Professional and Young Architect awards, the chapter also recognizes future talent through the Noel Hill Student Travel Award. With the generous support of Laufen, this program awarded two students from the Mackintosh School of Architecture at The Glasgow School of Art with £1000 to support their trip to Cambodia to assist with the design and construction of a new community centre in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Ryan McGaffney and Jennifer Taggart will spend July and August with the humanitarian design organisation Orkidstudio in Cambodia, after completing a series of design workshops to finalize their design. These two students will construct the centre using local materials with assistance from the organisation, as together they educate and empower the local men and women with the tools to build, maintain and potentially construct additional structures as the community’s needs continue to grow.  

Noel Hill Travel Award

Ryan McGaffney and Jennifer Taggart

The Mackintosh School of Architecture at The Glasgow School of Art

Previous design by the students using temporary materials, designed and built in two weeks. The jury selected two outstanding designs for Commendation from the impressive bevy of professional submissions received this year, including projects from some of the top firms in the country. 

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Professional Commendation

Seth Stein Architects – Equestrian Centre, Victoria, Australia (completed 2014)

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Professional Commendation

Duggan Morris Architects – Alfriston Swimming Pool, Buckinghamshire, UK (completed 2014)

Photography: © Jack Hobhouse

In addition to the Commendations, the jury selected one standout project that best exemplified excellence in design from this year’s entries. David Chipperfield Architects’ Office building Moganshan Road combines effortless details and profound elegance with simple yet highly comfortable office space amongst the rapidity of development in China. This project shows a refinement of design well worthy of the highest accolade.

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Professional Winner

David Chipperfield Architects – Office building Moganshan Road, Hangzhou, China (completed 2013)

Photography: © Simon Menges

“We are happy and honoured to receive the AIA UK Excellence in Design Award for our project in Hangzhou. We would like to thank our client ‘Hangzhou Fanes Baoyuan Real Estate’ for the great collaboration and support in realizing a building with generous office spaces and in high quality materials.”

– David Chipperfield Architects