18 projects have been revealed in the shortlist for the most recent round of the awards, with the winning projects to be announced in Spring
The projects on the RIBA East Awards 2026 shortlist are now set to be visited by a regional jury, and could win any of several East Special Awards.
These awards include sustainability awards, building of the year, and the national award which is due to be awarded this summer. The winners of the national award will then be later considered for the RIBA Stirling Prize later this year.
The 18 projects are:
- A Domestic Chapel by Matthew Seaborn with the Whitworth Co Partnership and Donald Insall Associates
- A house at Fairmead, High Beach, Epping Forest by Sergison Bates architects
- Angles House by Beech Architects Limited
- BEAM by Bennetts Associates
- Bodney Beach House by Napier Clarke Architects
- Fiona’s Studio by Edward McCann Architects
- Float House by TiggColl
- Foxglove House by Kirkland Fraser Moor
- Haileybury SciTech by Hopkins Architects
- Long Barn by TAS Architects
- More’s Meadow by Haysom Ward Miller
- Pembroke, Mill Lane by Haworth Tompkins
- Prestley Wood Academy by AtkinsRéalis
- River Wing, Clare College, Cambridge by Witherford Watson Mann Architects
- Rubicon by Alison Brooks Architects
- The Apple House by Okra
- The Drift – Abbots Hall by Leep Architects / Corinna Dean
- TTP Campus by Sheppard Robson
RIBA East jury chair, Julian de Metz, said: “The East region, diverse in typology, scale and context, boasts some spectacular architecture at every level. Congratulations to all those who made this year’s shortlist, with projects ranging from a modest, low-cost artist studio to major housing, education and arts projects.
But what elevates a good building of any size to become great architecture? This will be best judged by seeing those buildings in the flesh, and the jury is excited and privileged to be doing this.”
ApplebyBlue won the Stirling Prize last year
The shortlist was announced for the RIBA Stirling Prize last year, which included Appleby Blue Almshouse by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, Elizabeth Tower by Purcell, Hastings House by Hugh Strange Architects, London College of Fashion by Allies and Morrison, Niwa House by Takero Shimazaki Architects, and The Discovery Centre by Herzog and deMeuron/BDP.
After deliberation, Appleby Blue Almshouse was chosen to win the prize.
The site was described as: “In Bermondsey, United St Saviour’s Charity (UStSC), a Southwark-based charity of almost 500 years, set out the ambition to re-interpret the traditional almshouse, offering high-quality social collective housing for older people. The new almshouse, Appleby Blue, provides 59 apartments and shared facilities.
The site was originally council-owned, occupied by a disused care home. The private developer purchased it and largely funded the construction of the social housing, as the off-site affordable provision for a large residential development in Bankside. UStSC will operate the almshouse in perpetuity, with rents capped at social housing levels.”
