Family home on shores of Lough Beg among architecture prize winners
A family home built on the shores of a lake in Northern Ireland is among the winners of a major architecture prize.
House at Lough Beg was one of 29 winners of the 2022 Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) National Awards.
The awards, which have been presented since 1966, recognise the UK’s best new buildings and provide an insight into design and economic trends, according to Riba.
Other winners included the remodelled British Film Institute (BFI) cinema in London.
Burrowed beneath the arches of Waterloo Bridge, BFI Southbank was originally built in the 1950s to accommodate the UK’s largest independent cinema house and national film archive.
A viewing tower at an Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in Suffolk called Sutton Hoo was also on the list of winners, as was a modernised traditional village pub in North Yorkshire named The Alice Hawthorn.
Harris Academy Sutton secured a spot after becoming the UK’s first secondary school to achieve Passivhaus eco status.
Also on the winner’s list was 100 Liverpool Street, a net zero carbon office building sitting above the new Crossrail line in the City of London, which was described as a “truly impressive project” by the institute.
Riba said key trends from this year’s winners included uniting communities, developing housing for the future and restoring and adapting existing buildings.
Riba president Simon Allford said: “At a time when we need to bring people together and plan for a sustainable future, this year’s Riba National Award-winning buildings offer much hope.
“This is a powerful collection of buildings that show, despite the economic, political and social turmoil of the last few years, how great architecture can emerge even in challenging conditions.
“As we start to settle from the pandemic, I am particularly encouraged by the number and quality of new buildings designed to foster community.
“From local cultural hubs to reinvigorated accessible arts venues, these projects demonstrate the power of good architecture to lift spirits and enhance lives.”
He added that he was pleased to see “new and innovative solutions” to meet the demand for energy-efficient homes and said the winners have “set a new benchmark and vision for the future of UK housing”.
Mr Allford also said he was “encouraged to see restoration and sensitive adaptation feature so prominently” this year, with “buildings acknowledging their history, the needs of the present and the potential of a dynamic future”.
He added: “I congratulate every client, architect and construction team for their achievements.”
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