Schemes by small and medium-sized practices dominate list of 14 finalists
The refurbishment of a grade II*-listed lido, a timber-lined theatre and a series of striking private homes are among 14 “incredibly diverse” projects shortlisted for this year’s RIBA South East Awards.
The 2026 shortlist is dominated by schemes designed by small and medium-sized practices, including a trapezoidal black metal-clad home by Francesco Pierazzi Architects and Rye Harbour Discovery Centre by Simpson & Brown.
The list also includes R H Partnership Architects’ refurbishment of the main building at Saltdean Lido, Adam Richards Architects’ health and wellbeing centre at Mayfield School and the Richard Cairns Building at Brighton College by KRFT Architecture studio and Nicholas Hare Architects.
RIBA South East jury chair, Craig Sheach, partner at PRP, said: “The jury are delighted to have shortlisted an incredibly diverse range of schemes, from bespoke new-build homes and deftly reimagined heritage buildings to bold and beautifully crafted civic interventions.
He added: ”These projects show how the boundaries of architecture can be pushed in new and different directions, exploring ways to understand and improve social interaction as well as challenging preconceived notions of spatial organisation.
“They exploit new and emerging materials or deepen our understanding of how to bring existing structures back to life. Irrespective of the building type or brief, they all take the hard path, exploring the road less travelled in the search of craft, quality and human interaction.”
All projects shortlisted for RIBA Awards will be visited by a regional jury with the winning projects to be announced later this spring.
The winners will then be considered for several RIBA South East Special Awards, including the RIBA South East Sustainability Award and RIBA South East Building of the Year, before being considered for a RIBA National Award, which will be announced this summer.
The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning projects and announced in September. The Stirling Prize winner will be announced in October.
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