RIBA South Awards 2025 winners news, Winning Southern English buildings, UK architecture designs, Best property prize

RIBA South Awards 2025 Winners

Royal Institute of British Architects southern England property prize shortlist news: buildings + architects designs.

22 May 2025

RIBA South Awards 2025 winners announced

Caption: Top row, The Old Byre © Schnepp Renou (left), Eton School Hall © Philip Vile (middle), Rhodes House Transformation © Hufton+Crow (right). Bottom row, The Jackson Library – Exeter College, Oxford © Will Pryce (left), Blenheim Palace © Nick Cox Architects (middle), Hope Street © Fotohaus (right):

A “quietly radical” model for supporting women in the justice system, the careful restoration of Eton School Hall, and the conversion of two farm buildings on the Isle of Wight into a new home and spaces for visiting artists, are among the six winners of the RIBA South Awards 2025.

RIBA South Awards 2025 Shortlist News

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

The Awards were announced at a ceremony on the evening of 21 May, at which The Jackson Library – Exeter College, Oxford was named as winner of RIBA South Building of the Year Award 2025 (sponsored by EH Smith). The jury praised the project for “radically transforming the library through sensitively yet confidently designed” adaptions “tying together old and new.” They described it as an “intelligent renovation” that has “taken a tired listed building with limitations and turned it into a fresh, robust and light-filled environment for studying”.

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The RIBA South Awards 2025 winning projects are:

The Jackson Library – Exeter College, Oxford by Nex (Building of the Year sponsored by EH Smith, Project Architect of the Year – Joe Dent, Conservation Award sponsored by Velux), with Donald Insall Associates.

– A radical transformation of a deteriorating library in Exeter College has created a fresh, robust and light-filled environment for studying, by Nex.

The Jackson Library – Exeter College, Oxford

photo : Will Pryce

Blenheim Palace Orangery, Oxfordshire by Nick Cox Architects

– A bold restoration and re-design of the fire-damaged Orangery roof in a Grade I listed building delivers a new benchmark for heritage adaption.

photo : Andrew Ogilvy Photography

Blenheim Palace Orangery by Nick Cox Architects

Eton School Hall by Hopkins Architects

– Eton College’s Grade II listed Memorial Hall has been conserved and restored after years of incremental adaptions, re-establishing the spirit of place, by Hopkins Architects.

photo : Philip Vile

Eton School Hall

Hope Street, Southampton, by Snug Architects (Client of the Year sponsored by Equitone, Sustainability Award sponsored by Autodesk)

– A quietly radical model for supporting women in the justice system, the modest architecture balances opposing needs to leave a lasting impact.

One Small Thing, Hope Street Southampton building

photo : Fotohaus

Rhodes House Transformation, Oxford, by Stanton Williams

– Respectful interventions to this impressive Grade II* listed Arts and Crafts building vastly increases space and improves environmental performance, by Stanton Williams.

Rhodes House Transformation, Oxford

photo © Hufton+Crow

Renewal by Stanton Williams Architects

The Old Byre, Isle of Wight, by Gianni Botsford Architects (Small Project of the Year)

– This conversion of two understated farm buildings on the Isle of Wight creates a new home while also offering residency and working spaces for visiting artists.

The Old Byre Isle of Wight Property

photos : Schnepp Renou

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

RIBA South Jury Chair Fergus Feilden, Director at Feilden Fowles, said:
“Congratulations to all the South winners, who together with a strong shortlist, showcase the depth and diversity of architecture across the region. From a radical model for supporting women in the justice system to outstanding conservation and restoration projects, the message is clear – architecture has the power to transform lives and places.”

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 South 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.

The winners will then be considered for several RIBA Special Awards, including the RIBA Sustainability Award and RIBA Building of the Year, before being considered for a highly coveted RIBA National Award, which will be announced in summer.

RIBA South Awards 2025 winning buildings and architects images / information received 210525 from the Royal Institute of British Architects

The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize – the UK’s best new building – will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning projects.

Previously on e-architect: