Iris Ceramica Update: Design Awards Insights Night

On the 20th of May, the opening night of Clerkenwell Design Week 2025, Iris Ceramica hosted a special event in collaboration with AIA UK. This was a follow up to the Excellence in Design Awards which were held in April and featured all winners, who provided a brief presentation of their project at Iris Ceramica's showroom and gallery.

Inspiring presentations were followed by an intriguing Q+A focused on project parameters, process and design approach, leading to the design excellence demonstrated by the projects. We congratulate the 2025 winners and thank Iris Ceramica for their ongoing support of the chapter and the 2025 design awards.

2025 AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards

Each year the AIA-UK recognises architectural design excellence through our annual Design Awards. This year, as we approach the 30th iteration of our awards, the AIA UK Board decided to reshape them in four fundamental ways.

Firstly, acknowledging that we are run by and for UK members, we focussed recognition on the excellence of architecture built in the UK only; historically our awards recognised architecture built anywhere in the world.

Secondly, we were keen to more explicitly acknowledge the positive roles architectural design plays in what it does for the people and places in which it is built, so we created broader categories that emphasise the importance of architectural design as a positive integrated intervention within larger social, political, economic, environmental, and physical contexts; historically we have used the rather blunt categories of scale and/or typology.

Thirdly, we wanted to acknowledge the breadth of architectural practice today, from the smallest of spatial interventions to the largest of regenerative infrastructure and landscape, and so we opened entries to any scale or type of project designed by an architect; historically our awards recognised only a traditional notion of the singular building.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, acknowledging the vital role of architects in the climate emergency, we continued to ratchet up the base level of environmental sustainability required for entries. We further integrated sustainable approaches and climate impact across both measurable metrics and more holistic approaches as a key criteria for the selection for all winners, valuing both detailed technical approaches, and strategic design decisions to minimise environmental impact and improve the sustainability of projects and their contexts in the broadest possible sense.

To judge this year's awards we were honoured to have the expertise of a fantastic range of jurors: Alison Brooks (Director and Founder of Alison Brooks Architects, and Chair of the Jury), DaeWha Kang (Founder and Director of DaeWha Kang Design), Edoardo Tibuzzi (Design Director, AKT II Engineering), and Ellie Stathaki (Architecture & Environment Director, *Wallpaper Magazine).  The jury convened in-person in April to review a diverse range of projects from across the four nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, ranging from a tiny isolated picnic lodge, and single family home renovations in suburbia, to new corporate headquarters, vast science laboratories, major infrastructure projects, and pretty much everything in between.  

Taking advantage of the renewed criteria, the jurors firstly rigorously narrowed the entrants down by design excellence in their various contexts.  From this selection of projects they collectively decided to award projects in the following categories: 

• 'Beyond The Brief', recognising the project that went far beyond the original brief to create something especially impactful for its contexts: 

• 'Outstanding Conservation Project': recognising the importance of architectural design in carefully and thoughtfully restoring historic projects to be conceptually honest to the original structure whilst also bringing the structure up to current building standards, especially around accessibility and energy performance.

• 'Outstanding Small Project': recognising the power of architectural design to transform the daily lives of its users in highly constrained sites and contexts

• 'Innovation & Beauty': the project that exemplified particular innovation in architectural design to create moments of beauty in contexts where design is not commonly present or deemed necessary

• 'Outstanding Place to Commute’: recognising the fundamental role of design in our transitory spaces and transport infrastructure, to move us not only physically but also emotionally too, creating spaces of movement between places and spaces comfortable, practical, durable, and uplifting. 

• 'Outstanding Adaptive Reuse': recognising the vital importance of reusing existing structures not only to preserve contexts and reduce our environmental impact, but also to give new life to places in meaningful and contextually relevant ways through the act of adaptive reuse.

On a pleasant Spring evening in April we hosted our Design Awards Gala Summer Party at Denys Lasdun's brutalist masterpiece of the Royal College of Physicians on Regent's Park. Our members were delighted to be joined by many colleagues and friends from the RIBA, allied professions, and the media. After fine canapes and free-flowing drinks in the gardens, accompanied by the performances of two exceptional classical musicians from the Royal College of Music, the awards were presented to the following winners:

• 'Beyond The Brief': Walters & Cohen Architects for Godolphin & Latymer School's Dining, Library and Sixth Form Centre, London, England

• 'Outstanding Conservation Project': Moxon Architects for the restoration of Queen Victoria's Picnic Lodge, Balmoral, Scotland

• 'Outstanding Small Project': ConForm Architects for the Terzetto Apartment, London, England

• 'Innovation & Beauty': Tonkin Liu for the Tower of Light, Manchester, England

• 'Outstanding Place to Commute': Grimshaw Architects for the Elizabeth Line site-wide design, London, England

• 'Outstanding Adaptive Reuse': Allford Hall Monaghan Morris for their design and masterplanning roles at Norton Folgate, London, England

(The jurors' comments on the winners can be found on our Design Awards 2025 website page)

Following the awards ceremony, the party continued in the Royal College and its gardens.   

Ultimately our 2025 Excellence in Design Awards were a communal coming together to reassert the vital importance of architects and thoughtful architectural design to improve the world in which we all share.  They were a celebration of UK design work across scales and typologies that actively engages with its various contexts and communities as sustainably as possible to positively impact how we live, work, rest, and play everyday, and so help to shape a better world for all.

Our Design Awards are the result of the hard work of many people for many months behind the scenes. We would like to express particular thanks to: our jurors for their dedication, time, and commitment; all the entrants for their time and effort in applying; the Royal College of Physicians for hosting us and providing excellent canapes and drinks; the AIA Board for all their input, help, and logistical support - especially our Vice President Adelina Kolkeva, President Mark E Breeze, Sponsorship Directors Michael Lischer and David Martin, Social Media Director Fiona Edwards, Graphics Director Jamar Rock, and our Chapter Executive Genie Khmelnitski; and lastly, and very importantly, our generous ongoing headline sponsor for the event, Iris Ceramica Group, who have continued to comprehensively and generously support our Design Awards, making it a key signature event in the year.

2025 BIKE & SKETCH TOUR / Walton-on-Thames to Richmond

Relaxing at Hampton Court. Photo Credit: S Nalin

Lunch at Hampton Court An AIA UK Bike Tour is not all hard riding, sweat and tears.  Sometimes there are breaks for contemplation and enjoyment of the British countryside.  Saturday, 28 Jun 2025 proved to be one of the hottest days of the year  (to date!) and the shady environs of Hampton Court offered the riders a chance to contemplate, catch their breath, have lunch, cool down and – yes - sketch.  Lest we forget, the Bike Tour is also a Sketch Tour, and sketching can be relaxing.

Hampton Court in Full Glory.  Photo Credit: B O’Looney

Souvenirs of the Day.  Sketch Credits (Left to Right): B O’Looney, G Fonseca,  M Yao

Back to the Start at Walton-on-Thames  Admittedly, this year’s Bike & Sketch Tour was not all that arduous.  It started under the guidance of AIA UK’s favourite guide Benedict O’Looney ARB in Walton-on-Thames with a long downhill ride from the train station to the Thames path. From there to Richmond was flat and easy.  It was only the weather that proved difficult and discouraged at least two other potential riders on the day.   

Walton-on-Thames – like other small English towns - has its share of obscure historical stories to tell.  It is claimed – for example - that Julius Caesar forded the River Thames at Walton on his 2nd invasion of Britain; it is known that Canaletto painted the 1st of 6 Walton Bridges in 1754; and it is documented that the 1st ever baseball game was played nearby in 1749.  

Not being able to pursue such stories in person, the Bike & Sketch Tour made its first major stop at a prominent – and very down to earth - heritage site.  Walton’s St Mary’s Parish Church is a largely 12th century structure that also contains relics of  Saxon material and significant later additions.  O’Looney explained the complex history of the church in his usual exquisite detail.  

In particular, he was able to highlight an unexpected treat – the superlative 18th century Boyle Monument by Louis-Francois Roubiliac, a French sculpture who worked in England.  Roubiliac is described in Wikipedia as ‘probably the most accomplished sculpture ever to work in England’ – an epitaph that is hard to ignore.

Exploring St Mary’s in Walton on Thames, Including the Boubiliac’s Monument. Photo Credits (Clockwise from Top Left): L King, B O’Looney, G Fonseca, B O’Looney

Along the Thames Path to Hampton Court  After a search for suitable access to the Thames Path, the riverside ride began in earnest with a chance to enjoy the gentle ambience of river life – pubs and marinas; kayakers and paddle boarders; locks and weirs; bridges and footpaths - the accumulated dynamics of upstream Thames. 

Thames Life.  Photo Credits (Clockwise from Top Left): E Fitzpatrick, G Fonseca, E Fitzpatrick

As well as his detailed knowledge of ecclesiastical architecture, O’Looney also instils his tours with the economic, social and environmental history found along the way.   

For example, Platt’s Eyot seen across a river filled with expensive looking pleasure boats proved to have been an important ship building centre when the Thames was more than just a recreational diversion.  In 1904, John Thornycroft set up the Hampton Launch Works on the island where small naval craft and torpedo boats were built during both World Wars.  Abandoned since the 1960s, the last remaining factory shed is now sadly decrepit and unlikely ever to be listed.

Platt’s Eyot and the Thorneycroft Works. Photo Credit: S Nalin

After Lunch, Hampton Court Close Up The Thames path from Hampton Court to Kingston held more architectural treasurers, not least of which were the chimney laden rooflines and the back gate to the palace gardens.   

Looking Closely at Hampton Court. Photo Credit: B O’Looney and G Fonseca

Meandering Through the Richmond Throngs  After Kingston and a quick stop to admire Teddington Lock, the tour continued to Richmond.  The Richmond River Terrace – usually filled with boisterous crowds against a backdrop of Quinlan Terry’s faux classical buildings  – was a desert of parched grass.  The weather was not just hot; it also produced a near desert in SW London.  Instead of  sitting on the scraggly dunes, the crowds promenaded on the Thames Path.  It took skill and courage to manoeuvre bikes safely around the walkers, up the hill, through the traffic to the final destination – Richmond Station.

Richmond Station  Although Hampton Court was admittedly a hard act to follow, the renovation of Richmond Station proved the highlight of the Bike & Sketch Tour, given that t O’Looney’s firm – Benedict O’Looney Architects -  was the renovation architect on behalf of South Western Railway and the Railway Heritage Trust.  As tour guide, O’Looney was able to describe his own project in intimate detail.  

Since his work on the Peckham Rye Station (see HERE), O’Looney’s reputation for meticulous historic research and detailing has soared.  The art deco façade and – where possible - parts of the booking hall are now being restored to their former glory.   Particular attention has been placed on the signage as well as the design and manufacture of a replacement for the front canopy.

Details of the restoration work can be found HERE.

Richmond Station Gets a Facelift.  Photo Credits: G Fonseca and L King

This year’s Bike & Sketch Tour was organised by Etain Fitzpatrick AIA RIBA and earned the participants 5 continuing education credits.  Due to safety concerns, participation in AIA UK Bike Tour can be restricted.  If you are interested in next year’s tour, it is a good idea to book early.

Written by Lorraine King AIA

Design District, Greenwich Peninsula: A Curated Chorus of Creativity

Attendees gather for the tour of the Design District Masterplan. Photo by Hannah Corlett

To mark the start of the second half of 2025, the AIA UK enjoyed an insightful visit to the Design District on Greenwich Peninsula, East London. Held on 3 July, the tour was led by Hannah Corlett—founder of HNNA and master planner of the district alongside Alex Howard of the Design District management team.

Situated within the larger Greenwich Peninsula Masterplan, the Design District represents a bold experiment in curated urbanism. Developed by Knight Dragon and built by Ardmore, the project brings together 16 distinct buildings designed by eight architectural practices each tasked with creating a pair of structures described by Corlett as "brother and sister buildings" or "cousins." The aim: to foster a dynamic community of artists and creatives, with spaces that support both individual work and collective exchange.

Organised as a series of four courtyards and bisected by a central boulevard aligned with the Millennium Dome, the masterplan places emphasis on permeability, informal public space, and architectural diversity. Each architect was given two plots of similar size and brief but was asked to design without knowing the direction others were taking. The result is a strikingly diverse composition that feels, like the work of many hands over decades achieved all at once.

The tour, accompanied by Alex Howard, offered exclusive access to several buildings, showcasing the breadth of internal spatial strategies and design responses across the development. From material palettes to spatial typologies, the variation among the buildings reflects the richness of their authors’ approaches.

This ambitious and well-orchestrated masterplan reveals how coordinated architectural diversity, paired with thoughtful public realm integration, can yield a vibrant, coherent new piece of city where community and creativity are given the space to thrive.

Written by Gregory Fonseca, AIA

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Urbanest City Tour: Reimagining Mixed-Use in the Heart of London

Student Common Room. Photo by Katharine Storr

On Thursday, 12 June 2025, we had the opportunity to visit Urbanest City at 35 Vine Street, London EC3N—a recipient of the AIA UK Design Award in the Professional – Large Projects category. Designed by Hopkins Architects in collaboration with Apt, the project delivers a compelling mixed-use scheme that injects new life into the City of London.

This 11-storey development introduces a unique urban typology, combining 656 high-quality student residences with flexible office space, an incubator for start-ups, and a cultural venue anchored by a museum that houses a striking segment of the Roman City Wall. It’s an ambitious and thoughtful intervention in a location more traditionally associated with finance and commerce.

Photo by Will Scott

Urbanest City challenges conventional land-use expectations in the Square Mile. At first glance, one might question the viability of student accommodation in such a premium commercial location. Yet, its presence is both bold and welcome infusing the area with activity and vitality beyond traditional office hours. This shift toward a more integrated urban fabric signals a progressive evolution in city planning.

The student housing component is particularly impressive: contemporary, well-appointed interiors are complemented by a range of communal amenities, including two top-floor common rooms that offer expansive views across the London skyline. These spaces are designed to foster community while providing respite from the intensity of city life.

On the south side of the site, a separate building houses eleven floors of flexible workspaces designed to accommodate a range of tenants. The double-height reception offers informal meeting areas and connects directly to improved public realm along Vine Street and Jewry Street, enhancing the pedestrian experience.

Perhaps most unexpectedly, the project also incorporates a cultural programme. A publicly accessible exhibition space and museum entered either through a street-level café or a dedicated entrance featuring a restored and prominently displayed section of London’s ancient Roman City Wall. This integration of heritage within a contemporary setting is both educational and evocative, grounding the new development in the deep history of its site.

The student accommodation we toured bears little resemblance to the student housing of decades past. Urbanest City exemplifies how thoughtful design, and mixed-use programming can elevate urban living, creating layered, dynamic environments that serve a diverse community and enrich the city as a whole.

Written by Gregory Fonseca, AIA

View from the Café over the Roman City Wall. Photo by Katharine Storr

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A Model of Climate-Responsive Design: College Amadou Hampâté Bâ

College Amadou Hampâté Bâ by Article 25 Photo Credit: Toby Pear

On 29 May, we had the privilege of virtually touring the College Amadou Hampâté Bâ recipient of both the Professional - Medium Projects and Exemplary Performance in Sustainability categories at the 2024 AIA UK Excellence in Design Awards. Located in Niamey, the capital of Niger, the school is a low-carbon, passively ventilated campus designed by Article 25, a UK-based humanitarian architectural NGO named after Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The college name honours the legacy of Amadou Hampâté Bâ, the renowned Malian writer, historian, and ethnologist.

Situated north of central Niamey where monthly high temperatures range from 32°C in January to a blistering 41°C in April, the project responds elegantly to one of the harshest climates in the Sahel. In this context, where both resources and infrastructure are limited, the architecture stands as a transformative and inspiring model of sustainable design.

What immediately distinguishes the project is its use of local materials, particularly the reddish laterite stone quarried from the surrounding earth. This material, with its significant thermal mass, moderates internal temperatures by absorbing and slowly releasing heat. The design further reduces solar gain while enhancing natural ventilation, removing the need for costly and energy-intensive mechanical systems—a critical consideration in such an environment.

The classroom roofs are constructed using compressed earth brick vaults, over which lightweight "flying" metal roofs are suspended. These angled metal canopies create a narrowed opening at one end, encouraging air to be drawn through the roof cavity and promoting passive cooling. The metal roofs also shield the vaults from heavy seasonal rains, contributing both to durability and thermal performance.

Together, the rough-hewn laterite facades, vaulted earthen roofs, and soaring metal canopies create a poetic architectural language—one that embodies environmental sensitivity, material honesty, and cultural respect. The result is a masterclass in climate-responsive architecture that sets a powerful precedent for sustainable design in extreme climates.

Written by Gregory Fonseca, AIA

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