Six buildings shortlisted for RIBA Stirling Prize 2022

The shortlist for the architecture prize comprises:

This project involved the refurbishment of a former 1980s office building with deep floorplates into a high-quality, flexible commercial building. It reused the existing building, keeping what could be salvaged and unpicking what was not.

The work was made more complex due to the fact that the building sits over several railway tracks and is adjacent to a bus station.

The design retains the existing foundations and a large proportion of the existing steelwork, as well as adding three new office floors. The original cladding was replaced with a glazed facade.

Forth Valley Campus in Falkirk is the final building in a decade-long redefinition of the college’s building stock. It replaces a 1960s building that had reached the end of its useful life on the site adjacent.

The new campus buildings hark back to the architecture of the era with long, low slung elevations. Externally, the building is made from honeyed Petersen bricks, profiled aluminium cladding, and corrugated concrete.

Internally, the building is organised in a grid with courtyards, streets, open learning spaces and closed classrooms.

Architect: Reiach and Hall Architects
Client: Forth Valley College of Further and Higher Education
Contractor: Balfour Beatty Construction
Quantity surveyor: Aecom
Structural engineers: Aecom/Wardell Armstrong
M&E engineers: Aecom/KJ Tait Engineers
Project manager: Aecom
Executive architect: Keppie Design
Landscape architect: Horner + Maclennan

For this project the architect had to be inventive to deliver the required light and ventilation on a restricted site. The courtyard is the heart of the school. The 10 storeys are served by a central octagonal oculus staircase.

RIBA said the high-quality facade with a “solid street presence” is also worthy of note. Meanwhile, a long precast concrete bench backing onto the blind facade of the school hall is provided for parents waiting beside the school gates.

Architect: Henley Halebrown
Client: Downham Road
Contractor: Thornsett Structures
Structural engineers: Techniker  
Environmental/M&E engineer: Elementa
Landscape architects: Tyler Grange  
Planting: Jennifer Benyon Design
Artist: Paul Morrison
Planning consultant: CMA Planning 
Principal designer: Potter Raper 
Approved inspector: MLM 
Fire consultant: BWC Fire  
Acoustic engineer: Pace Consult 
Transport consultant: Phil Jones Associates

Comprising 228 homes and 2,500 sq m of retail and cultural spaces, Orchard Gardens is an entire city block and major component of Elephant & Castle’s regeneration.

Designed to be viewed as a cluster of buildings ranging from five to 19 storeys high, it wraps around a sunny communal garden. The tallest element is located to north of the scheme, reducing in height to the south where Orchard Gardens borders the Grade-II listed Southwark Town Hall. 

Architect: Panter Hudspith Architects
Client: Lendlease
Structural engineer: Walsh Group 
Landscape architect: Gillespies 
Environmental/M&E engineer: Wallace Whittle 
Quantity surveyor/cost consultant: Lendlease 
Acoustic engineer: Sandy Brown
Town planning: DP9
Daylight sunlight: Gordon Ingram Associates 
Community engagement: Soundings 
Fire: Buro Happold 
Facades: Buro Happold 
Townscape: Tavernor Consultancy

Located on the north-west corner of Fulham’s South Park, the new Sands End Arts and Community Centre comprises several new, connected pavilions arranged around the existing disused Clancarty Lodge, a popular landmark that was refurbished as an exhibition space as part of the same project.

Apart from a cafe, toilets, showers and changing facilities, the new accommodation, all single-storey with level access, has been left as multi-purpose lettable spaces for arts and cultural activities. The pavilions’ monopitch roof forms vary in height, inspired by the glasshouses that had previously stood on the site. 

To the courtyard side, the pavilions are clad in honey-toned brick, their roofs edged in pre-patinated copper.

Inside, the pavilions are constructed in CLT and glulam, with green stained timber panelling. The CLT frame and woodwool slab infill are left unfinished at ceiling level.

Architect: Mæ Architects
Client: Hammersmith and Fulham Council
Contractor: Neilcott Construction
Structural engineer: Elliot Wood 
Environmental/M&E engineer: Max Fordham 
Landscape architect: J & L Gibbons 
Employer’s agent: Ikon Consultancy 
Quantity surveyor/cost consultant: Ikon Consultancy
Acoustic engineer: Mach Acoustics 
Planning consultant: CMA Planning Consultants 
CDM: PFB

Niall McLaughlin Architects had a brief to create a college library with a lifespan of 400 years – to replace a library gifted to Magdalene by Samuel Pepys 300 years previously.

The library combines load-bearing brickwork with a horizontal engineered timber structure to establish a lofty vertical space with a complex three-dimensional tartan grid.

The design of this library has been strongly influenced by the requirements to passively light (characterised by the roof lanterns), and naturally ventilate the spaces (characterised by the stack effect ventilation chimneys and openings in the roof). As a result, the predicted energy performance exceeds the RIBA 2030 benchmark.

Architect: Niall McLaughlin Architects
Client: Magdalene College
Contractor: Cocksedge
Structural engineer: Smith & Wallwork
Project management: Savills
Quantity surveyor/cost consultant: Gleeds
Acoustic engineer: Max Fordham
Environmental/M&E engineer: Max Fordham
Building control: MLM

RIBA president Simon Allford said: “As we grapple with housing, energy and climate crises, these six projects give cause for optimism, each offering innovative solutions to the challenges of today and the future. From major capital city regeneration programmes to new visions for higher education, they all share the ambition to deliver generous architecture fit for a low-carbon future. 

“All six buildings are informed by close consultation and collaboration with clients, contractors and the community. The result: outstanding and welcoming architecture that lifts the spirit of all who engage with it.

“All six are also underpinned by their understanding of construction’s responsibility to mitigate and adapt to our climate crisis. From the reuse and upgrade of existing buildings to the conscious specification of low-carbon materials and technologies, to the thoughtful design of hybrid, flexible spaces – these schemes consider their environment and give generously to their community.” 

The winner of the 2022 RIBA Stirling Prize will be announced on Thursday 13 October 2022 at RIBA, 66 Portland Place in London.