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NEWS AWARDS
RIBA International Awards 2026 shortlist announced
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has revealed the 52 projects shortlisted for the 2026 RIBA International Awards for Excellence.
Celebrating outstanding architecture from 18 countries, the biennial awards highlight design that tackles global challenges, including climate change, limited resources, social equity and rapid urban growth.
The shortlist features projects from
fi ve continents, ranging from net-zero industrial hubs to refugee art centres. The list includes projects from global practices, including David Chipperfi eld Architects, Foster + Partners, Snøhetta, Hassell and WOHA, alongside noteworthy boutique fi rms, including MAKER architecten and Studio Mumbai.
The shortlisted project show architects “reimagining cultural, civic, educational and community buildings as open, adaptable spaces that support shared identity and public life,” said RIBA. Libraries, museums, schools and community facilities “are conceived not only as institutions but as civic anchors that connect learning, culture and everyday
activity.” Adaptive reuse plays a key role, with former industrial and corporate structures transformed into cultural venues, civic hubs and mixed-use environments that extend the life of existing buildings while retaining elements of their architectural history. Many projects also emphasise community participation and local context, reinterpreting religious, neighbourhood and hospitality spaces as inclusive places that strengthen ties and support local economies. Across housing, landscape and infrastructure, the projects address
density, sustainability and resilience while maintaining quality of life. Housing models “explore incremental growth, cooperative living and low-carbon construction, alongside the reuse of industrial buildings and the use of environmentally conscious materials. Together, these approaches demonstrate how architecture can integrate environmental performance, social value and long-term adaptability,” said RIBA. The winners of the RIBA International
Awards for Excellence will be announced on 11 June.
LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME
Common Practice Studio completes national leadership programme
An architectural design studio has strengthened its strategic direction and commercial foundations after completing a national leadership programme. Manchester-based Common Practice
Studio, now in its third year, was founded as a small, values-driven practice committed to ensuring thoughtful, meaningful and purposeful design is accessible to all. Working across community-focused projects, co-founder Yan Wing Le joined Help to Grow:
Management, the Government-backed 12-week leadership initiative to step back from day-to-day delivery and “take a more strategic view of how the practice operates and evolves sustainably.” As many small architecture studios balance design delivery with the demands of running a business, Yan Wing Le said the programme “provided vital space for refl ection.”
Help to Grow: Management supports SME leaders in strengthening productivity,
leadership capability and long-term growth planning.
For Common Practice Studio, the programme “reinforced the foundations required to transition from early-stage practice to sustainable, long-term growth while staying aligned to its values-led design ethos.”
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF MARCH 2026
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