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NEWS STIRLING PRIZE
Witherford Watson Mann wins Stirling Prize for social housing complex
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has named a social housing complex for over-65s by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, as the winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025.
Replacing an abandoned care home, Appleby Blue Almshouse “radically reimagines the traditional almshouse,” said RIBA, “fl ipping the centuries-old typology by placing shared spaces at its heart to foster community and reduce isolation among residents.” The development contains 59 bright, spacious fl ats arranged in a U-shape around a central courtyard. Homes with “discreet accessibility features” offer an “aspirational living environment, in stark contrast to the institutional atmosphere often associated with older people’s housing.” Large kitchen windows draw in natural daylight and provide residents with uninterrupted views of the garden courtyard. A variety of plants, trees and a gentle water feature that echoes throughout the building “gives a sense of a woodland oasis, allowing residents a constant connection to a green space in the heart of London.” Light-fl ooded, terracotta paved hallways connect the fl ats and contain customisable planters and benches, forming a “social corridor” that encourages spontaneous interaction among residents. Cleverly designed automated vents alongside the
double-glazed windows allow the corridors to collect heat in the winter to create a warm winter garden for residents, and release heat to stay cooler in the summer. Above, a generous roof terrace provides a “colourful, transportive communal space” for residents, where the planting beds have been raised to accommodate accessibility needs. At street level, fl oor-to-ceiling bay windows create a strong social connection between residents and the surrounding community. A direct view of the bus stop on the main street allows for chance interactions and residents to observe the daily bustle of city life. A varied public calendar of events also helps draw people inside to the warm, timber- clad shared spaces.
The double-height public “garden room” and community kitchen provide spaces for everyone to come together and socialise, offering residents a form of co-living centred around communal spaces. RIBA added: “Remarkable collaboration and meticulous attention to detail between Witherford Watson Mann Architects and
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the client, United St Saviour’s Charity, has created a serene, social and profoundly transformational environment for the users of Appleby Blue, where the importance of the residents’ mental and physical wellbeing are each treated with equal signifi cance and priority.” Appleby Blue gently reimagines later living as a collective experience, drawing its residents together in spaces that elevate the everyday. The result is a “pioneering model for designing high-quality housing for later living, where care and dignity are embedded into the design throughout.”
The 2025 award panel was chaired by Ingrid Schroder, director of The AA School of Architecture, and included Anna Lisa McSweeney, UK network lead, Built by Nature; Chris Williamson, RIBA president; Neill McClements, director, Grimshaw; Simon Gillis, technical director at Autodesk; Victoria Tang-Owen, Creative Director, designer, consultant and brand collaborator (Lay Assessor). Appleby Blue Almshouse was also awarded the RIBA Client of the Year Award, and the Neave Award for Housing.
ADF NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
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