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04 Dec 2014

Haworth Tompkins cleans up at Architect of the Year Awards

The Architect of the Year Awards were announced in London this week, with practice Haworth Tompkins picking up a hat-trick of prizes.

Haworth Tompkins was awarded The Schuco Gold Award, as well as winning two other categories, ‘Refurbishment Architect of the year’ and ‘Public Building Architect of the year’. 2014 has clearly been an excellent twelve months for the London-based firm, which was also awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize back in October for its ‘Everyman Theatre’ in Liverpool.

The winner of the Sports & Leisure Architect of the year went to Arup Associates, which had showcased excellence in this field – particularly with its Singapore National Stadium. Arup fended off stiff competition from global sports-architecture giants Populous, which has also done well this year, with senior advisor Geraint John recently being awarded the illustrious Pierre de Coubertin medal for outstanding services to the Olympic Movement.

Interior Architect of the year went to London-based Spacelab, which aims to apply innovative thinking to architecture and design and utilise spatial analysis techniques in all of its projects. Working in close partnership with UCL, complex spatial planning is worked into all elements of its designs, gaining it a renowned base of clients.

Flanagan Lawrence was awarded Small (non-housing) Project Architect of the year for its ‘Soundforms and Acoustic Shells’ which are part of a wider project to bring better acoustics to the public. Placed on East Beach in Littlehampton, these shell like structures have been created to provide a quality acoustic environment for outdoor events.


Flanagan Lawrence’s Acoustic Shells. Photo: Twitter @archilibs

Masterplanning & Public Realm Architect of the year was awarded to Allies and Morrison. Its masterplan for Kings Cross, London, has seen the entire area transformed into a thriving destination that has been seamlessly integrated in to the surrounding landscape.

McDowell + Benedetti was awarded Infrastructure Architect of the year. With bridges being a hot topic of 2014 in the UK, for example Heatherwick’s controversial Garden Bridge, McDowell + Benedetti has created the world's first opening swing bridge that allows people to step on and off and cross while the bridge is in motion. Constructed in Hull, the bridge is a key component for regeneration in the area.


A unique bridge for the UK’s infrastructure. Photo: Twitter @Dezeen

The prize for Sustainability Architect of the year went to Hewitt Studios, which always places sustainability at the top of its agenda when creating a building. One project in particular, The Straw Bale Cafe in Herefordshire, is clearly focused on sustainable design, setting the standard for sustainability in architecture and design.

Spanish practice, Langarita-Navarro Arquitectos, was awarded Young Architect of the year. This new practice has managed to combine sustainability, creativity and innovation in its recent projects.

2014 has been a fantastic year for architecture, with several projects coming to fruition that would never have been perceived possible during the financial crisis. 2015 looks optimistic for the profession, with key themes such as sustainability and functional design remaining firmly at the top of the agenda.