Ryder named Architect of the Year at 2026 Building Awards

Ryder has been named Architectural Practice of the Year at the 2026 Building Awards, the annual awards show held by Building Design’s sister title Building. 

More than 900 professionals from across the built environment gathered at Grosvenor House hotel in Mayfair yesterday evening for the ceremony, which was hosted by comedian Jason Manford.

Judges praised Ryder’s strong commitment to diverse recruitment and the firm’s development of bespoke AI tools.

The practice was also commended for returning to target profit levels and nurturing emerging sectors including hospitality, retail and sport despite challenging market conditions.

Hopkins Architects’ Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities at the University of Oxford was awarded Project of the Year, with judges describing the scheme - the world’s first passivhaus concert hall - as “truly outstanding”.

HTA Design’s Sutton Estate, which has converted four Edwardian-era housing blocks into 81 energy efficient and accessible homes, won Retrofit Project of the Year. Judges said the scheme was “an exemplar for other UK estate regeneration schemes” .

Thornton Tomasetti and  Holcim UK’s, The Whale on the Wharf, a public art project in Canary Wharf, was named winner of the Net Zero Award.

The 12m-high sculpture of a breaching whale is constructed from five tonnes of recovered ocean plastic and supported by 32 sq m of biochar concrete, made from spent coffee grounds from local cafes.

Judges said: “More than a striking public sculpture, it serves as a live testbed for future construction technologies, with the potential to influence industry practice and accelerate the adoption of low-carbon solutions across the sector.” 

See all of the night’s winners below. 

 Also with thanks to our VIP drinks sponsor Gleeds