RIBA North West Awards 2016 winners

RIBA North West last night (20 April 2016) announced that ten projects were winners of 2016 RIBA Regional Awards, in recognition of their architectural excellence.

Having shortlisted 17 buildings, the judging panel visited all shortlisted projects over a week in March and reached a decision to award 10 RIBA Regional Awards at a prestigious ceremony hosted by BBC 6 Music’s Stuart Maconie at The Bluecoat in Liverpool, attended by members of the profession from across the North West.

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool by BDP took home the coveted RIBA North West Building of the Year Award, won last year by The Whitworth in Manchester by MUMA.

The full list of winners (in alphabetical order):

• Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool by BDP
• HOME, Manchester by Mecanoo
• Library Walk Link Building, Manchester by SimpsonHaugh and Partners
• Littlewoods Bunker, Liverpool by shedkm
• Manchester Central Library, Manchester by Ryder Architecture
• Mellor Primary School, Stockport by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects
• National Graphene Institute, Manchester by Jestico + Whiles
• Private House 1109, Cheshire by GA Studio Architects
• Private house, Cumbria by Bennetts Associates
• Wirral Metropolitan College, Wirral by Glenn Howells Architects

In addition to the ten RIBA Regional Awards announced on the evening, projects were eligible to win one or more RIBA Regional Special Awards. The winners are:

• Building of the Year Award sponsored by Marley Eternit: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
• Client of the Year Award: Manchester City Council (for HOME, Library Walk Link Building and Manchester Central Library)
• Small Project of the Year Award (less than £500,000): Private House 1109
• Project Architect of the Year Award: Eleanor Brough, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects (for Mellor Primary School)
• Emerging Architect of the Year Award sponsored by Tarmac: GA Studio Architects (for Private House 1109)
• Conservation Award: Manchester Central Library
• Sustainability Award sponsored by Sika: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital

North West Regional Jury Chair, Mushtaq Saleri, commented:

"The 2016 North West Awards are testament to the strength of architecture in the region today. With a record number of entries even the shortlisting process was difficult, the judging even more so.

"The judges were impressed by the dedication and commitment of the architects we met along the way, matched by clients who were clearly thrilled to have been involved in the special projects recognised by the visits. The vastly differing functions, scale, complexity and budgets make comparisons between the winning schemes impossible. The fact that we were equally moved by a delightful private residence and (in the same afternoon) a state-of-the-art laboratory facility proves that architects can have a positive influence in all areas of our lives.

"It has been inspiring to have been privy to these remarkable buildings and to have shared the stories behind their conception and construction. We congratulate all the architects and design teams involved and in particular the clients who continue to support our profession and all it represents. The RIBA Awards recognise how this unique relationship can deliver something truly special."

RIBA North West Regional Director, Andrew Ruffler, said:

"With a record number of entries, and a shortlist of 17 quality buildings, the jury had an extremely difficult task in identifying those worthy of a RIBA North West regional award this year. In making their decisions it is great to see that that the jury has recognised projects from a wide regional geography, as well as different functions, scales and budgets. It is also highly encouraging to see that a significant number of the winning architects and their practices are based in the North West region, a trend which we hope continues."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. For further press information, access to high resolution press images and the jury citations contact Andrew Ruffler 07943 769 871 andrew.ruffler@riba.org or Marc Heuston 0151 703 0107 marc.heuston@riba.org
2. The 2016 RIBA North West regional awards are kindly sponsored by:
   Marley Eternit
   Sika
   Tarmac
3. The full list of RIBA North West 2016 Award winners (in alphabetical order) are:
   1. Regional Awards
      1. Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool by BDP
      2. HOME, Manchester by Mecanoo
      3. Library Walk Link Building, Manchester by Simpson Haugh and Partners
      4. Littlewoods Bunker, Liverpool by shedkm
      5. Manchester Central Library, Manchester by Ryder Architecture
      6. Mellor Primary School, Stockport by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects
      7. National Graphene Institute, Manchester by Jestico + Whiles
      8. Private House 1109, Cheshire by GA Studio Architects
      9. Private House, Cumbria by Bennetts Associates
      10. Wirral Metropolitan College, Wirral by Glenn Howells Architects
   1. Special Awards
      1. Conservation Award: Manchester Central Library
      2. Sustainability Award sponsored by Sika: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
      3. Emerging Architect of the Year sponsored by Tarmac : GA Studio Architects (for Private House 1109)
      4. Architect of the Year: Eleanor Brough (for Mellor Primary School)
      5. Small Project of the Year: Private House 1109
      6. Client of the Year: Manchester City Council (for HOME, Library Walk Link Building and Manchester Central Library)
      7. Building of the Year sponsored by Marley Eternit: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
4. The RIBA Awards have been running continuously since 1966 and are judged and presented locally. No matter the shape, size, budget or location, RIBA award-winning schemes set the standard for great architecture all across the country. RIBA awards are for buildings in the UK by RIBA Chartered Architects and International Fellows.
5. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members. www.architecture.com