AYA 2025 shortlists: Higher Education Architect of the Year

Earlier this year BD announced all the architects who made it on to the shortlists for our prestigious annual Architect of the Year Awards.

Now we are shining the spotlight on each category in turn and publishing a selection of the images that impressed the judges.

This year’s judges include: Yẹmí Aládérun, head of development, Meridian Water (Enfield Council); Amr Assaad, director, Buckley Gray Yeoman; Lee Bennet, partner, Sheppard Robson; Sarah Cary, chief development officer, White City at Imperial; Ben Derbyshire, chair, HTA Design LLP; Martyn Evans, creative director, U+I; Dicle Guntas, managing director, HGG London; Gavin Hale-Brown, director, Henley Halebrown; Tanvir Hasan, director emeritus, Donald Insall Associates; Lee Higson, board director, Eric Parry Architects; David Kohn, founder and director, David Kohn Architects; Oliver Lowrie, director and founder, Ackroyd Lowrie; Anna Mansfield, director, Publica; Jo McCafferty, director, Levitt Bernstein; Ian McKnight, director, Hall McKnight; John McRae, director, Orms; Andrew Mellor, partner, PRP; Sadie Morgan, director, dRMM; Setareh Neshati, director of regeneration and development – delivery and operations, Westminster City Council; David Partridge, co-founder, Senze; Manisha Patel, director, kpk Studios; Sarah Robinson, associate director, The King’s Foundation; Simon Saint, principal, Woods Bagot; Philippa Simpson, director for buildings and renewal, Barbican Centre; David Stansfield, senior partner, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios; Amin Taha, director, Groupwork; Magali Thomson, project lead for placemaking, Great Ormond Street Hospital; Ola Uduku, head of school, Liverpool School of Architecture; Tatiana von Preussen, co-founder, vPPR; Richard Wardle, director, Stanton Williams.

Today’s shortlist is for Higher Education Architect of the Year.

BDP

The student experience is central to all BDP’s designs, according to the practice, which aims to create learning environments that stimulate, engage and inspire the next generation. Its entry features two ongoing projects – the University of Warwick Science Precinct, and the refurbishment and extension of the James Stirling Building at the University of Cambridge – as well as the completed College of Arts and Society at Coventry University and the Dalton Building at Manchester Metropolitan University.

HLM Architects 

The practice describes itself as shaping learning environments that are ‘inclusive, adaptive, and future-ready’. Its entry includes the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospital, a £32million research and innovation hub. The design was informed by learnings from the HLM Insight stakeholder tool. HLM Design has also completed the Health Sciences Library refurbishment at the University of Leeds and is working on Digital Nexus, a teaching and research facility at the University of St Andrews. 

Nex-

The practice says its higher education work is ‘defined by transformational spaces that enhance student and staff experience while respecting institutional heritage’.
Last year it completed the £12.25 million refurbishment of Exeter College’s Grade II listed Jackson Library, which doubled study space and improved both access and thermal performance. The entry also includes two earlier projects, Homerton College Entrance & Library (concept design 2021), and the Brighton Photography Centre, completed in a former office building in 2015.

WGP Architects

A specialist in Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), WGP has worked on over 2,000 student rooms in the last year. The practice sees student housing design as ‘a story of beautiful efficiency’, with mental and physical wellbeing central to its ethos. Its entry features a PBSA-led mixed-use scheme in Brighton (delivery and interior), and a 198-bed luxury student housing scheme in Southampton. The BREEAM Outstanding scheme is due to complete in 2027.