Design Awards 2025. Godolphin & Latymer School, Walters & Cohen Architects. Photo credit: ©Jim Stephenson
AIA UK Highlights
AIA United Kingdom is known for its busy calendar, and the start of this year has been no exception. Here are just some of our recent events and initiatives.
UK Design Awards
7 May 2025
A heartfelt congratulations to the outstanding winners of the 2025 Excellence in Design Awards—your vision and execution have truly raised the bar for architectural excellence. Sincere thanks to everyone who attended and supported the event, and to our generous sponsor, Iris Ceramica Group, for helping make it all possible.
The American Institute of Architects UK Chapter held the 2025 Excellence in Design Awards Ceremony on 7 May at the Royal College of Physicians in London. Now in its 30th year, the programme continues to honour projects that exemplify innovation, sustainability, and creative intent, as framed by the AIA Ten Measures of Design Excellence. This year introduced a more flexible format, enabling jurors to recognise achievements across a diverse range of scales and typologies. A distinguished jury—comprising Alison Brooks, DaeWha Kang, Edoardo Tibuzzi, Ellie Stathaki, and Margherita Giannoni—carefully reviewed UK-based entries that demonstrated forward-thinking design and meaningful contributions to the built environment.
The 2025 awards celebrated a remarkable spectrum of work. Among the honourees were Godolphin & Latymer School by Walters & Cohen Architects (Beyond the Brief), Queen Victoria Picnic Lodge by Moxon Architects (Outstanding Conservation), and Tower of Light by Tonkin Liu (Innovation + Beauty). Other winning projects included Norton Folgate by AHMM (Outstanding Adaptive Reuse), Elizabeth Line by Grimshaw Architects (Outstanding Place to Commute), Terzetto House by ConForm Architects (Outstanding Small Project), and Keystone Teaching Lab by HOK, recipient of the ICG Award. Congratulations once again to all recipients, whose work exemplifies design excellence and serves as inspiration for the profession.
Preparing to take the Mutual Recognition Agreement Exam
8th April 2025
On Tuesday 8th April 2025 the chapter held a session on Preparing for the UK/USA Mutual Recognition Agreement for architects presented by Alex Miller, AIA RIBA and Bryan Oknyansky, AIA hosted at KPF architects offices in Covent Garden. The chapter has considered and campaigned for Mutual Recognition since its founding. Now with the process up and running as administered by the ARB, Bryan and Alex shared their experience as two of the early cohort to successfully pass the adaptation assessment exam. The event was well attended by practitioners at various career stages. We were appreciative that our guests included the attendance of Chris Williamson, RIBA, the 2025-2027 RIBA President.
Please find the event recording HERE and the presentation slides HERE.
Written by Alex Miller, AIA RIBA
‘Genius Loci’ Spring Conference
Cork, Ireland (11 - 13 April 2025)
The 2025 ‘Genius Loci’ Spring Conference, co-hosted by AIA Continental Europe and AIA United Kingdom, unfolded in Cork, Ireland—a city rich in maritime heritage and architectural depth. Embracing the Oxford interpretation of genius loci as the architect’s responsibility to reveal and respect the spirit of place, the conference brought together leading Irish architects and planners for a dynamic exchange of ideas. From reflections on Cork’s layered identity to site visits such as the newly repurposed Nano Nagle Place and the evolving Cork Docklands, the programme balanced poetry and pragmatism. Talks explored themes of light, community, and heritage alongside infrastructure, sustainability, and climate urgency, culminating in a warm evening reception that honoured Cork as both a memory-laden city and one with visionary ambition.
On the second day, attendees were immersed in the tranquil, tree-lined campus of University College Cork, where O'Donnell + Tuomey’s contributions underscored the potential of architecture to bridge past and present. Afternoon talks brought a sharper focus to climate and material innovation, while Bucholz McEvoy’s concept of “breathing buildings” offered a compelling ecological vision. The following days continued the architectural deep dive with a visit to de Blacam and Meagher’s acclaimed MTU campus and inspiring talks on Cork’s maritime character, classical echoes, and small-town revitalisation. The Extension Day carried the spirit of exploration into the harbour towns of Kinsale and Cobh, where award-winning projects and cultural landmarks rounded out the experience. Delayed by the pandemic but fuelled by determination and collaboration, the conference stood as a celebration of Cork’s enduring spirit and architecture’s power to both honour and transform place.
For more news from AIA UK, like the Sustainability Series events and the Building Tour series, visit HERE
