RIBA announces 2024 Neave Brown Award shortlist

RIBA has announced four projects as finalists in its 2024 Neave Brown Award for affordable housing.

The shortlist includes an infill scheme by Al-Jawad Pike, a reimagining of a 1960s estate by Pollard Thomas Edwards and a social housing project in Glasgow by Page/Park.

It also includes a 235-home social rent scheme in Brent designed by a collaboration between Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Alison Brooks Architects, Gort Scott and RM_A Architects.

The award is given in honour of modernist architect and social housing pioneer, Neave Brown, who died in 2018, and recognises the best affordable housing schemes in the UK each year.

The jury was chaired by Astrid Smitham, founder of Apparata architects, which won last year’s Neave Brown award for the practice’s project A House for Artists.

She said this year’s shortlist showed the importance of partnerships between clients and architects in delivering housing “of the very highest standard, that everyone deserves.”

RIBA president Muyiwa Oki added: “This year’s shortlist reaffirms that creating social housing should not be seen as a limitation to architects, but a great opportunity. 

“Each brief has taken run-down or underused spaces and created outstanding projects that serve the needs of residents and the wider community. 

“These schemes thoughtfully balance the environment, community, and quality, reinforcing the reality that when designing social housing, good design need not compromise on any of the three.”

The jury also included Allies & Morrison partner Bob Allies and Zoe Brown, daughter of Neave Brown. 

The shortlist is selected from winners of 2024 RIBA Awards. The winner will be announced at the RIBA Stirling Prize ceremony on Wednesday 16 October 2024 at The Roundhouse in London.