2021 Neave Brown Award for Housing Winner, Shortlist, RIBA Architecture Winners, British Architect

2021 Neave Brown Award for Housing

15 + 14 October 2021

London Borough of Newham estate McGrath Road wins Neave Brown Award for Housing

Thursday 14th of October 2021 – The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced McGrath Road designed by Peter Barber Architects as the winner of the Neave Brown Award for Housing 2021, which recognises the UK’s best affordable housing.

McGrath Road has received the second Neave Brown Award for Housing, named after social housing pioneer, Neave Brown (1929 – 2018).

photo © Morley von Sternberg

The series of London townhouses comprises 26 three and four-storey dwellings with social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership tenures. The houses are linked together by a communal tree-lined courtyard. The development challenges conventional housing configurations and sets a new standard for high-quality affordable housing. Peter Barber Architects’ considered scheme ensures all houses have balconies and private terraces and a living room on the top floor to embrace the views across the Capital.

Chair of the Neave Brown Award for Housing jury David Mikhail said:

“In addition to its sheer inventiveness, this project has made a huge contribution to the wider area; projecting its optimism, whilst managing to feel neighbourly. The architects have moulded a place of character, both within the scheme and the community it serves. It demonstrates how imaginative street-based architecture can be socially progressive and architecturally engaging – a combination that endears Peter Barber Architects’ work to so many people.”

photo © Morley von Sternberg

RIBA President Simon Allford said:

“Intelligent, dynamic and original – this unique configuration of housing has the McGrath Road community at its heart. It’s an exemplar of high-quality social housing within one of London’s most densely populated boroughs and demonstrates what can – and must – be achieved across the country. It would, I am sure, have been championed by the late, great Neave Brown.”

The Neave Brown Award for Housing 2021 jury was chaired by the winner of the 2019 award David Mikhail, with co-founder and CEO of Public Practice Pooja Agrawal and Neave Brown family representative Mark Swenarton.

McGrath Road Housing was designed by Peter Barber Architects.

Previously on e-architect:

14 September 2021

We will be announcing the 2021 Stirling Prize shortlist on Thursday this week, but today we’re sharing the shortlists for the Neave Brown Award for Housing and Stephen Lawrence Prize – the winners of which will also be revealed on 14 October:

News from Royal Institute of British Architects Award, England, UK

RIBA announces shortlist for 2021 Neave Brown Award for Housing

95 Peckham Road by Peter Barber Architects

photo © Morley von Sternberg

Blackfriars Circus by Maccreanor Lavington

photo © David Grandorge

McGrath Road, London, by Peter Barber Architects

photo © Morley von Sternberg

Key Worker Housing, Eddington, Cambridge by Stanton Williams

photo © Jack Hobhouse

Housing in Eddington

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has today (Tuesday 14 September) announced the shortlist for the 2021 Neave Brown Award for Housing, named in honour of modernist architect Neave Brown (1929 – 2018), who designed the Alexandra Road housing estate in Camden amongst other projects.

The shortlist for the 2021 Neave Brown Award for Housing is drawn from the winners of the 2021 Regional Awards, that are projects of ten or more homes completed and occupied between 1 November 2017 and 1 February 2020, and at least one third of the housing needs to be affordable.

The four housing developments shortlisted for the 2021 Neave Brown Award for Housing are:

95 Peckham Road, London, by Peter Barber Architects

A vibrant development made up of 33 homes, embracing dramatic design and playful features, and a peaceful courtyard behind the building. The block is a lively new addition to the Peckham street.

Blackfriars Circus, London, by Maccreanor Lavington

A sustainable new neighbourhood, revived from a semi-derelict brownfield site, which comprises several separate blocks with stunning roof gardens and a 28-storey tower. It generates 336 new homes and includes two public areas and a yard surrounded by units for small enterprises.

Key Worker Housing, Eddington, Cambridge, by Stanton Williams

A communal residential scheme, designed for the University of Cambridge, with interconnected courtyards and harmonious shared spaces throughout the development, welcoming both residents and the public. It incorporates sustainable water features and bike storage units wrapped in timber.

McGrath Road, London, by Peter Barber Architects

A series of 26 unique townhouses, designed for the London Borough of Newham. The houses challenge convention with their creative layouts and the combination of a traditional London terrace and European courtyard, which brings the residents together.

RIBA President Simon Allford said:

“These exceptional housing developments are exemplars of sustainable, innovative design; they foster a strong sense of community, and encompass the values of social housing pioneer, Neave Brown. Each scheme provides an intelligent and creative solution that addresses the UK’s affordable housing challenge. They also offer delightful places to live that consider the health and wellbeing of current and future residents. Congratulations to all of the projects shortlisted for our second Neave Brown Award for Housing.”

The shortlist was selected from the 2021 RIBA Regional Awards winners by an expert panel of judges: Winner of 2019 Neave Brown Award for Housing David Mikhail (Chair), Co-founder and CEO of Public Practice Pooja Agrawal and Neave Brown family representative Mark Swenarton.

The winner of the 2021 Neave Brown Award for Housing will be announced at the RIBA Stirling Prize ceremony on Thursday 14 October at Coventry Cathedral.

Neave Brown

Neave Brown (1929 – 2018) was a modernist housing architect, best known for a series of housing estates in and around Camden in North London. In 2018 he was awarded the UK’s highest honour for architecture, the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture, which is approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen. Recognition for Neave Brown came late in life.

His work in the 1960s and 70s was rejected for eschewing the high-rise norms of the time and instead – most notably in the case of Alexandra Road (1978) – focussing on a street-based alternative that placed an emphasis on communal spaces and shared facilities, whilst working within the constraints of local authority budgets and planning requirements and a dense and constrained urban context. His plans made clever use of space, creating capacious and generous rooms for occupants.

RIBA Awards

The RIBA Awards have been running continuously since 1966, apart from 2020, when due to the COVID-19 pandemic they were postponed. The 2021 RIBA UK Awards (including Regional, National and the RIBA Stirling Prize) have been selected from the shortlist for the 2020 RIBA Regional, RIAS, RSUA, and RSAW Awards.

No matter the shape, size, budget or location, RIBA Award winning schemes set the standard for great architecture all across the country. RIBA Awards are for buildings in the UK by RIBA Chartered Architects and RIBA International Fellows. Entries are to be submitted to the region or nation in which the building is situated. Winners are considered for the RIBA Stirling Prize.