2025 RIBA West Midlands Awards, Winning buildings architects, Birmingham architecture projects

2025 RIBA West Midlands Awards

2 May 2025

2025 RIBA West Midlands Award winners announced

RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners

A timber-clad, carbon-neutral nursery (University of Staffordshire Woodlands Nursery), the transformation of a 1930’s fire station into apartments (Old Fire Station) and a future facing university building (Coventry University, College of the Arts & Society) are among the five winners of the 2025 RIBA West Midlands Awards.

Presented since 1966, the RIBA Awards set the standard for great architecture across the country.

The Awards were announced at a ceremony this evening (1 May), at which Coventry University, College of the Arts & Society was named as winner of RIBA West Midlands Building of the Year Award 2025 (sponsored by EH Smith). The jury praised how the architects ambitiously “knitted the formerly disparate existing buildings together”, delivering “outstanding value for the university with a light touch.”

The 2025 RIBA West Midlands Award winning projects are:

Hanbury Hall by Howells
– The addition of a new café and kitchen to a Grade I listed country house in Worcestershire.

One Centenary Way – Howells – Project Architect of the Year (Simon Pope)
– A sustainable, steel-frame office building, bridging over a busy road tunnel in Birmingham.

University of Staffordshire Woodlands Nursery by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios – Sustainability Award (sponsored by Autodesk), Client of the Year (sponsored by Equitone)
– A timber-clad, carbon-neutral nursery built on a former car park.

Coventry University, College of the Arts & Society by BDP – Building of the Year (sponsored by EH Smith)
– The transformation of two brutalist buildings into a future-facing hub at Coventry Universities’ College of Arts and Society.

Old Fire Station by KKE Architects Ltd
– A renovation of a 1930’s fire station into 28 new apartments and retail space.

The five projects were selected by the expert jury, who visited all shortlisted projects.

RIBA West Midlands Jury Chair Tim Collett, Associate Professor at University of Nottingham, said:
“The award-winning projects in the West Midlands demonstrate how constraints can become opportunities – elevating and enhancing the inherent potential of each site. Whether spanning a road tunnel, replacing a car park, or transforming underperforming existing structures into dynamic and exciting places to study and live, these projects deliver outstanding value.

From city making to people making, they enrich lives through new sustainable approaches – from ground cooled fresh air to locally sourced oak. It is heartening to see successful collaboration with exceptional clients deliver projects that make such significant contributions to the quality of the built environment in the West Midlands.”

Speaking on all the UK Award winners, RIBA President, Muyiwa Oki, said:
“This year’s winners exemplify architecture’s power to transform—turning spaces into places of connection, creativity, and care. Spanning the length of the UK and diverse in form and function, our 2025 winners show a deep sensitivity to place and a strong coherence of thought between all teams involved. Individually these projects inspire and uplift, but collectively, they remind us that architects do far more than design buildings, they shape the way we live, work and connect.”

RIBA West Midlands Award winners will now be considered for a highly coveted RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence, which will be announced on 10 July. The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning projects later in the year.

Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire:
Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire - 2025 RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners
photo © Greg Holmes
Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire

University of Staffordshire Woodlands Nursery:
University of Staffordshire Woodlands Nursery building - 2025 RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners
photo © Daniel Hopkinson
University of Staffordshire Woodlands Nursery

One Centenary Way, Birmingham:
One Centenary Way, Birmingham, England - 2025 RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners
photo © Hufton + Crow
One Centenary Way, Birmingham

Coventry University, College of Arts & Society:
Coventry University, College of Arts & Society - 2025 RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners
photograph © Nick Caville, BDP
Coventry University, College of Arts & Society

Old Fire Station, Worcester:
Old Fire Station, Worcester
photograph © KKE Architects
Old Fire Station, Worcester

2025 RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners images / information received from the Royal Institute of British Architects

Previously on e-architect:

RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners

2022 RIBA West Midlands Building of the Year
Undercroft Learning Centre Worcester Cathedral
photo © Andy Marshall
2022 RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners

The Undercroft Learning Centre, Worcester Cathedral by Acanthus Clews Architects

West Midlands RIBA 2018 architecture awards
Hope View House by Warren Benbow Architects
photo © Lisa Lodwig
RIBA West Midlands Awards Winners 2018

RIBA West Midlands Awards Shortlist 2018

RIBA West Midlands Awards 2017

Location: West Midlands, central England, UK.

RIBA Awards Past Winners

RIBA Awards Winning Buildings + Architects
RIBA Awards

English Architecture Designs – chronological list

Stirling Prize

RIBA National Awards Winners

RIBA Southeast Awards Winners 2018

RIBA East Awards Winners 2018

RIBA Yorkshire Awards Winners in 2018

RIBA Northeast Awards Winners 2018

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RIBA Royal Gold Medal

Birmingham Buildings

English Architecture

Comments / photos for the 2022 RIBA West Midlands Awards page welcome