In a series celebrating BD’s Architect of the Year Awards finalists, we look at the Social Value Architect of the Year shortlist
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 Social Value Architect of the Year.
Harrison Stringfellow
Three projects in the practice’s home city of Liverpool demonstrate its commitment to projects that improve quality of life and build lasting community value.
Growing Sudley transformed a derelict changing facility into a therapy centre and wellbeing hub that was co-designed and built with the help of community members.
The practice has retrofitted The Bronte inner-city youth centre and is working on a revival strategy for the long-shut Grade II listed Everton Library.
HLM Architects
The practice describes itself as taking ‘a regenerative approach that restores ecosystems, revitalises communities, and boosts long-term economic resilience’. Its entry showcases two projects. Barnsley Civic reconnects the civic hub, including theatre, gallery, exhibition and workshop spaces, with the local community through the restoration of the original entrance and the introduction of new food and drink spaces. Two Bridges Academy is a new-build school for pupils with severe learning difficulties in South Gloucestershire.
HTA Design LLP
According to HTA, social value is embedded throughout the design process, prioritising equity, participation and wellbeing. This included a creative engagement programme during the council-led Kidbrooke Park Road North housing, and a youth-informed landscape strategy as part of the redevelopment of Clare House in Bow. Winstanley & York Road estate regeneration included a show flat designed by a young resident following a mentoring scheme. Eden Dock delivered public green infrastructure at a former dock in Canary Wharf.
Intervention Architecture Ltd
The Birmingham practice aims to ‘give communities agency through meaningful engagement to actively shape the built environment around them’. This often involves the use of meanwhile use, hands-on participation and biophilia, as exemplified by the three pocket park projects featured in its submission. These include Erdington Baths in East Birmingham, where the practice created a pocket park with local people ahead of the derelict Victorian swimming pool’s conversion into an enterprise hub.
Loader Monteith
The Glasgow practice describes its work as ‘rooted in responsibility, community engagement, and the belief that architecture can and should improve lives’.
In Balerno, the Harmeny Learning Hub is a vocational learning centre, designed to support healing and personal growth for students with complex support needs due to early years trauma and adversity. Hameart is an adapted home for the client and a close relative who lives with Alzheimer’s in Perthshire. Two rural revitalisation projects complete the submission.
>> Also read: AYA 2025 shortlists: Best Architect Employer of the Year
>> Also read: UK Design Capital of the Year: How Manchester is setting the pace for regeneration and urban living
Postscript
The Architect of the Year Awards are on Wednesday, 15 October 2025 at the Marriott Grosvenor Square, Grosvenor Sq, London, W1K 6JP.
Book your place here.
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