Announced yesterday by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the 26 winners of the 2024 RIBA National Awards for architecture include varied projects ranging in scale, from an urban masterplan (King’s Cross) and a new transport network (The Elizabeth Line), to a house nestled in the Cornish landscape (Farmworker’s House) or a beautifully repurposed dairy farm (Wraxall Yard).

The Scottish projects to be recognised were the North Gate Social Housing project in Glasgow, designed by Page\Park for New Gorbals Housing Association (NGHA), and Edinburgh’s Fruitmarket Gallery, designed by Reiach and Hall Architects.

Celebrating the Association’s first-ever RIBA National Award, Jean Miller, chair of NGHA, said: “More than 30 years of community-led regeneration has culminated in this great achievement for New Gorbals.

“As a community-controlled housing association, our Management Committee is made up of local people like myself, making decisions for the benefit of the people of the Gorbals. We demand high standards for the design and quality of our homes and we are delighted that Page\Park architects responded so brilliantly.

“We are thrilled that their excellent design has been recognised in the RIBA National award win. It showcases the importance of placing community needs at the heart of design.”

The dramatic seven-storey frontage of North Gate is a beacon, announcing the regeneration of the Gorbals to those looking south from the city centre. The building itself marks the final piece of the Crown Street Regeneration Masterplan which began 30 years ago.

The development consists of 31 one- and two-bedroom homes for predominantly older residents.

The Association’s management committee and staff worked with architects Page\Park to meet the needs of local people, and ensure North Gate responded to the demands of an ageing population with a beautifully designed development.

The development is now NGHA’s most award-winning project, with the RIBA National Award sitting alongside accolades from Glasgow Institute of Architects, RIAS, Saltire and Scottish Design Awards. In addition, North Gate’s architect, James Brimble of Page\Park, picked up the RIAS Project Architect of the Year Award 2024 for this project.

Key themes among this year’s National Award winners include:

Restoration and adaptation

This year’s awards feature inspiring examples of existing buildings and structures that have been given a new lease of life thanks to innovative designs, developed by working closely with clients and local communities.

Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings – opened in the 18th century and widely regarded as the ‘grandparent of skyscrapers’ – has now been converted for multiple different uses, providing a bright future for the next 100 years. In London, the world-renowned Battersea Power Station has been preserved for the city’s skyline and reimagined as a new work and leisure destination along the River Thames.

The ongoing regeneration of the Park Hill Estate in Sheffield demonstrates that our Brutalist heritage can play a role in the changing needs of urban living, while affordable workspace can be created by extending and re-skinning a Victorian terrace in Hackney in the form of Bradbury Works. Ancient sites have been carefully adapted so that they can continue to serve their local communities, such as Auckland Castle and the Bath Abbey Footprint Project.

Materials and construction

While creating new buildings, the projects included in the National Awards 2024 demonstrate how modern methods of construction and a considered approach to material selection can make a valuable impact on the success of any scheme.

At Beechwood Village, off-site modular construction has been artfully deployed to create high-quality homes that are more sustainable than their more traditional counterparts. The Arbor in Waltham Forest showcases how to make a carbon-negative development using waste and bio-based materials. An entirely timber-framed structure at New Temple Complex has eliminated the need for steel, while simultaneously creating elegant and reflective spaces. More timber is used for the Dining Hall, Homerton College, Cambridge but this building is also clad in ceramic tiles, drawing inspiration from the college’s early 20th century Arts and Crafts buildings.

The 26 projects were selected by the expert jury, who visited all shortlisted projects.

Commenting on the winning projects, RIBA president Muyiwa Oki, said: “The sheer breadth of work is quite astounding, with large infrastructure schemes sitting alongside high-quality detailed smaller projects. This is a testament to the standard of architecture in the UK right now, as we maintain a sense of ambition and consider how design must evolve to meet future needs.”

2024 RIBA Awards group chair, Simon Henley, said: “We’re delighted to award these 26 projects across the UK and recognise their exceptional quality and the hard work of teams behind them. From projects engaged with technology, community, visual arts to hands-on making, these National Winners reflect the breadth of contemporary practice and how architecture itself is an inclusive medium that addresses many of society’s challenges.”

The 2024 RIBA National Award winners are:

• Alfreton Park Community Special School
• Auckland Castle, Tower and Faith Museum
• Bath Abbey Footprint Project
• Battersea Power Station Phase Two
• Beechwood Village
• Bradbury Works
• Chowdhury Walk
• Dining Hall, Homerton College, Cambridge
• Farmworker’s Houseape
• House on Redbrae Farm
• King’s Cross Masterplan
• National Portrait Gallery
• New Temple Complex
• North Gate Social Housing
• Paddington Elizabeth Line Stationvel
• Park Hill Phase 2
• Royal Academy of Dance
• Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings
• Six Columns
• Thames Christian School & Battersea Chapel
• The Arbour
• The Black & White Building
• The Elizabeth Line
• The Fruitmarket Gallery
• WongAvery Gallery
• Wraxall Yard

RIBA National Award 2024 winners will now be considered for the highly coveted RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year in recognition of their architectural excellence, the shortlist of which will be announced on 31 July.