The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 32 winners of the 2026 RIBA National Awards, recognizing the UK’s most outstanding architectural projects completed over the past year. The annual awards, established in 1966, celebrate design excellence across a broad spectrum of building types and serve as the final stage before the selection of this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist.
Spanning all four nations of the United Kingdom, the winning projects demonstrate architecture’s ability to respond to contemporary challenges through adaptive reuse, sustainable housing, civic infrastructure, education, culture, and public realm improvements. While London accounts for a significant number of winners, projects from Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and regional England highlight the geographical diversity of this year’s selection.
Housing emerged as one of the defining themes of the 2026 awards. Canada Water Plot K1, designed by Morris+Company with White Ink, delivers 79 affordable homes as the first phase of the Canada Water master plan. In Croydon, Lion Green Road, designed by Mary Duggan Architects with RUFF Architects, provides 157 homes with an equal balance of affordable and private housing. Meanwhile, Plashet Road by Levitt Bernstein introduces 65 Passivhaus-certified affordable homes in Newham, demonstrating how environmental performance and social housing can be successfully combined.
Adaptive reuse and heritage conservation also played a prominent role among this year’s winners. Arding & Hobbs by Stiff + Trevillion transformed the Grade II-listed Edwardian department store at Clapham Junction into a contemporary mixed-use destination, while Plant, led by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios alongside Twelve Architects, reimagines a listed 1970s office building in Basingstoke through a heritage-led retrofit. The restoration of Space House by Squire & Partners further demonstrates the growing importance of extending the life of existing buildings rather than replacing them.
Cultural and educational architecture featured strongly across the list. Sadler’s Wells East, designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey, provides a purpose-built dance theater and choreography school in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. In York, Tonkin Liu Architects received recognition for both the Heritage Quad and the Technology Hub at the York Minster Centre of Excellence, combining traditional craftsmanship with emerging conservation technologies. Bristol Beacon, redesigned by Levitt Bernstein, was also honored for its transformation of the city’s historic concert venue.
Infrastructure and public realm projects also received recognition. Kepax Footbridge, designed by Moxon Architects with Jacobs, improves pedestrian and cycling connections across the River Severn in Worcester, while Paddington Square by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, in collaboration with Adamson Associates, redefines one of London’s busiest transport gateways through a large-scale mixed-use development.
Private residential architecture remained a significant category within this year’s awards. Projects including A House at Fairmead by Sergison Bates Architects, Rammed Earth House by Tuckey Design Studio, Pantybara by Rural Office, Iorram by Baillie Baillie Architects, and Tollymore by McGonigle McGrath demonstrate diverse approaches to domestic architecture, from site-sourced natural materials to sensitive responses to rural landscapes.
Commenting on the awards, Neil Gillespie, Chair of the 2026 RIBA Awards Group, said the winning projects demonstrate how architects continue to create meaningful places despite increasing environmental, economic, and social challenges. He noted that the projects balance climate responsibility, accessibility, affordability, inclusivity, and design quality while placing people and place at the center of the architectural process.
The 32 National Award winners now become eligible for consideration for the 2026 RIBA Stirling Prize, with the shortlist scheduled to be announced on 16 July, followed by the winner’s announcement on 15 October.
Credit: RIBA
