8 stunning Cambs buildings praised for ‘architectural merit’

Winners were awarded in recognition of their architectural merit and are considered for several RIBA Special Awards including the RIBA Sustainability Award and the RIBA Building of the Year.

Copper House in Cambridge was crowned a regional winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects awards. (Image: Credit: Matthew Smith)

22 buildings across the East were shortlisted for a national design award this year and the full list of RIBA East award-winning projects in Cambridgeshire is below:

• Ely Museum by HAT Projects

• Copper House, Cambridge, by Butcher Bayley Architects

• Civil Engineering Building, Cambridge, by Grimshaw with RHP

• Magdalene College Library, Cambridge, by Niall McLaughlin Architects

• 36 Storey’s Way, Churchill College, Cambridge, by Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture

• 1704_Wuduhus, Huntington, by Mole Architects

• Wintringham Primary Academy, St Neots, by dRMM Architects

• Friars, St Ives, by Mole Architects

36 Storey's Way, Churchill College, Cambridge was crowned a regional winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects awards. (Image: Credit: Anthony Coleman)

Tom Holbrook, regional jury chair, said: “The eight winning projects in Cambridgeshire this year illustrate the sheer diversity that architects’ spatial intelligence can contribute to society: from the most modest single-room extension through to complex civic projects that have been crafted over years.

“It was particularly exciting for the jury to see how these excellent projects had supported their commissioners and users through the pandemic in different ways, providing refuge and respite in an uncertain period.”

Magdalene College Library in Cambridge was crowned a regional winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects awards. (Image: Credit: Nick Kane)

Civil Engineering Building in Cambridge was crowned a regional winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects awards. (Image: Credit: Paul Raftery)

The redevelopment of Ely Museum also picked up the RIBA East Conservation Award.

The RIBA East Sustainability Award, sponsored by Michelmersh, was awarded to Wintringham Primary Academy, a new primary school in St Neots.

The RIBA East Small Project of the Year went to 1704_Wuduhus, sponsored by Gaggenau.

The RIBA East Client of the Year was awarded to Charterhouse Investments with New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, and Thomas Brisco was rewarded for his work on Studio Nencini in Norwich with the project architect of the year award.

1704_Wuduhus in Huntingdon was crowned a regional winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects awards. 1704_Wuduhus also picked up the RIBA East Small Project of the Year. (Image: Credit: Matt Smith)

Wintringham Primary Academy in St Neots was crowned a regional winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects awards.The academy also picked up the RIBA East Sustainability Award. (Image: Credit: Hufton Crow)

The 2022 RIBA East Building of the Year, sponsored by Taylor Maxwell, will be announced on May 24 at a ceremony at RIBA’s HQ in London.

RIBA East winners will now be considered for a highly-coveted RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence, which will be announced in June.

The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will be drawn from the RIBA National award-winning projects later in the year.

Friars in St Ives was crowned a regional winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects awards. (Image: Credit: David Butler)

The RIBA East Client of the Year was awarded to Charterhouse Investments with New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich. (Image: Credit: Shaun Barber)

Thomas Brisco was rewarded for his work on Studio Nencini in Norwich (pictured) with the project architect of the year award. (Image: Credit: Nick Dearden)