Architecture

RIBA's Stephen Lawrence Prize shortlist highlights British architecture on a budget

RIBA's Stephen Lawrence Prize shortlist highlights British architecture on a budget
The Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) Stephen Lawrence Prize Shortlist has been announced
The Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) Stephen Lawrence Prize Shortlist has been announced
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Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, is described as a "cheeky little project" by the RIBA judges (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
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Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, is described as a "cheeky little project" by the RIBA judges (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA was completed at a cost of £439,000 (US$707,000)(Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
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Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA was completed at a cost of £439,000 (US$707,000)(Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, is located very close to the Shard (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
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Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, is located very close to the Shard (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, is described as a "cheeky little project" by the RIBA judges (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
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Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, is described as a "cheeky little project" by the RIBA judges (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, was completed at a cost of £439,000 ($707,000)(Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
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Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, was completed at a cost of £439,000 ($707,000)(Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, is located very close to the Shard (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
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Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, is located very close to the Shard (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, is described as a "cheeky little project" by the RIBA judges (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
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Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA, is described as a "cheeky little project" by the RIBA judges (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA was completed at a cost of £439,000 (US$707,000)(Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
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Alex Monroe Studio Snowfields, by DSDHA was completed at a cost of £439,000 (US$707,000)(Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
House Number 7, by Denizen Works, is a superb example of mixing old and new (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
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House Number 7, by Denizen Works, is a superb example of mixing old and new (Photo: Dennis Gilbert)
House Number 7, by Denizen Works, is amongst the six projects highlighted by RIBA's Stephen Lawrence Prize shortlist (Photo: David Barbour)
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House Number 7, by Denizen Works, is amongst the six projects highlighted by RIBA's Stephen Lawrence Prize shortlist (Photo: David Barbour)
House Number 7, by Denizen Works is located on Scotland's Isle of Tiree (Photo: David Barbour)
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House Number 7, by Denizen Works is located on Scotland's Isle of Tiree (Photo: David Barbour)
House Number 7, by Denizen Works - the cost of the build was not revealed (Photo: David Barbour)
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House Number 7, by Denizen Works - the cost of the build was not revealed (Photo: David Barbour)
Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, is an unusual residential development that features two triangular houses (Photo: Helene Binet)
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Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, is an unusual residential development that features two triangular houses (Photo: Helene Binet)
Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, cost a total of £693,922 (US$1,120,337) (Photo: Helene Binet)
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Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, cost a total of £693,922 (US$1,120,337) (Photo: Helene Binet)
Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, has already won a RIBA London Regional Award (Photo: Helene Binet)
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Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, has already won a RIBA London Regional Award (Photo: Helene Binet)
Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects (Photo: Helene Binet)
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Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects (Photo: Helene Binet)
Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, is an unusual residential development that features two triangular houses (Photo: Helene Binet)
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Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, is an unusual residential development that features two triangular houses (Photo: Helene Binet)
Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, has already snagged a RIBA London Regional Award(Photo: Helene Binet)
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Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, has already snagged a RIBA London Regional Award(Photo: Helene Binet)
Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects (Photo: Helene Binet)
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Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects (Photo: Helene Binet)
Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, cost a total of £693,922 (US$1,120,337) (Photo: Helene Binet)
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Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects, cost a total of £693,922 (US$1,120,337) (Photo: Helene Binet)
Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects (Photo: Helene Binet)
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Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects (Photo: Helene Binet)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, helps people navigate a harbor open to the public (Photo: Downer)
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Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, helps people navigate a harbor open to the public (Photo: Downer)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, negotiates a 12 m (39 ft) high defensive wall and cantilevers dramatically over the sea (Photo: Downer)
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Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, negotiates a 12 m (39 ft) high defensive wall and cantilevers dramatically over the sea (Photo: Downer)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects (Photo: Downer)
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Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects (Photo: Downer)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, cost £250,000 (US$403,000) (Photo: Downer)
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Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, cost £250,000 (US$403,000) (Photo: Downer)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, sports part-concealed LED lighting that alternates between red, blue, and yellow (Photo: Downer)
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Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, sports part-concealed LED lighting that alternates between red, blue, and yellow (Photo: Downer)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, helps people navigate a harbor open to the public (Photo: Downer)
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Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, helps people navigate a harbor open to the public (Photo: Downer)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, cost £250,000 (US$403,000) (Photo: Downer)
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Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, cost £250,000 (US$403,000) (Photo: Downer)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects negotiates a 12 m (39 ft) high defensive wall and cantilevers dramatically over the sea (Photo: Downer)
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Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects negotiates a 12 m (39 ft) high defensive wall and cantilevers dramatically over the sea (Photo: Downer)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, sports part-concealed LED lighting that alternates between red, blue, and yellow (Photo: Downer)
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Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, sports part-concealed LED lighting that alternates between red, blue, and yellow (Photo: Downer)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects (Photo: Downer)
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Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects (Photo: Downer)
Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, is perhaps the most innovative of the six projects recognized by RIBA (Photo: PAD Studio)
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Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, is perhaps the most innovative of the six projects recognized by RIBA (Photo: PAD Studio)
Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, operates fully off-grid with solar power, a small charcoal stove, and a solar shower (Photo: PAD Studio)
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Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, operates fully off-grid with solar power, a small charcoal stove, and a solar shower (Photo: PAD Studio)
Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, was completed at a price of £40,000 (roughly US$64,000) (Photo: PAD Studio)
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Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, was completed at a price of £40,000 (roughly US$64,000) (Photo: PAD Studio)
Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, serves as a place for an artist to work and occasionally sleep (Photo: PAD Studio)
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Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, serves as a place for an artist to work and occasionally sleep (Photo: PAD Studio)
Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, is perhaps the most innovative of the six projects recognized by RIBA (Photo: PAD Studio)
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Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, is perhaps the most innovative of the six projects recognized by RIBA (Photo: PAD Studio)
Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, operates fully off-grid with solar power, a small charcoal stove, and a solar shower (Photo: PAD Studio)
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Exbury Egg, by SPUD Studio, operates fully off-grid with solar power, a small charcoal stove, and a solar shower (Photo: PAD Studio)
Tree House, by 6a architects, drew the judges' praise for enabling a disabled person to once again navigate the majority of the main living spaces of their home independently (Photo: 6a Architects)
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Tree House, by 6a architects, drew the judges' praise for enabling a disabled person to once again navigate the majority of the main living spaces of their home independently (Photo: 6a Architects)
The total cost of Tree House, by 6a architects, remains confidential (Photo: 6a Architects)
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The total cost of Tree House, by 6a architects, remains confidential (Photo: 6a Architects)
Tree House, by 6a architects sports, natural ventilation and underfloor heating (Photo: 6a Architects)
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Tree House, by 6a architects sports, natural ventilation and underfloor heating (Photo: 6a Architects)
Tree House, by 6a architects, takes its place well within the existing space (Photo: 6a Architects)
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Tree House, by 6a architects, takes its place well within the existing space (Photo: 6a Architects)
Tree House, by 6a architects (Photo: 6a Architects)
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Tree House, by 6a architects (Photo: 6a Architects)
Tree House, by 6a architects, drew the judges' praise for enabling a disabled person to once again navigate the majority of the main living spaces of their home independently (Photo: 6a Architects)
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Tree House, by 6a architects, drew the judges' praise for enabling a disabled person to once again navigate the majority of the main living spaces of their home independently (Photo: 6a Architects)
Tree House, by 6a architects, takes its place well within the existing space (Photo: 6a Architects)
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Tree House, by 6a architects, takes its place well within the existing space (Photo: 6a Architects)
The Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) Stephen Lawrence Prize Shortlist has been announced
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The Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) Stephen Lawrence Prize Shortlist has been announced
View gallery - 45 images

Sometimes constraint can prove fertile ground for innovation. Such is the case with the six projects shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architects' (RIBA) Stephen Lawrence Prize, which highlights outstanding UK-based projects completed by mostly young architectural talent working with a relatively small budget.

Hampshire-based Exbury Egg is perhaps the most innovative of the six projects recognized by RIBA, and certainly the most novel. Designed by SPUD Studio, the egg-shaped structure serves as a place for an artist to work and occasionally sleep. It operates fully off-grid with solar power, a small charcoal stove, and a solar shower. The project was completed at a price of £40,000 (roughly US$64,000).

North London-based Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects is a residential development that features two triangular houses constructed in an awkwardly cramped plot. The houses sport green roofs and a shared communal courtyard, and feature a playful use of triangles outside and in. Despite the unusual design and general lack of available space, the houses are certainly appealing and have already snagged a RIBA London Regional Award. The development cost a total of £693,922 ($1,120,337).

Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects (Photo: Helene Binet)
Ott's Yard, by vPPR Architects (Photo: Helene Binet)

House Number 7, by Denizen Works, which made the Manser Medal Longlist, is a superb example of mixing old and new. Located on Scotland's Isle of Tiree, the project involved the renovation and extension of a ruined traditional islander cottage and now sports two modern extensions linked by a glass-roofed corridor. The cost of the build was not revealed.

London's Tree House conversion by 6a Architects, which we also touched upon in our Manser Medal Longlist coverage, drew the judge's praise for enabling a disabled person to once again navigate the majority of the main living spaces of their home independently. The price for this project is also confidential.

Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, sports part-concealed LED lighting that alternates between red, blue, and yellow (Photo: Downer)
Royal William Yard Staircase, by Gillespie Yunnie Architects, sports part-concealed LED lighting that alternates between red, blue, and yellow (Photo: Downer)

Gillespie Yunnie Architects made the shortlist with a staircase that links Plymouth's coastal path to the Royal William Yard; a harbor open to the public. The staircase negotiates a 12 m (39 ft) high defensive wall and cantilevers dramatically over the sea. It also sports part-concealed LED lighting that alternates between red, blue, and yellow. It cost £250,000 ($403,000).

Finally, Alex Monroe Studio is described as a "cheeky little project" by the judges due to its unusual design that features an ornate zinc facade for a London-based jewelers that's located very close to the Shard. The building was completed at a cost of £439,000 ($707,000).

RIBA will announce the winner of the awards on October 16.

Source: RIBA

View gallery - 45 images
2 comments
2 comments
Jim Bruin
Budget? A $400,000 staircase and 'budget' just don't go together in the same sentence. Budget architecture is where you go out into the woods and build a log cabin with a chainsaw or axe. If you want to get fancy, rent a portable sawmill, bring carpentry tools and make it timber framed. The floating egg looks kind of cool though. It would be pretty easy to build. Some timber, maybe a steam bender and fiberglass. It would be just like building a boat.
ljaques
Budget? I was going to congratulate the guys doing the study of the lower-cost architectural projects when I noticed the prices of the studies involved. They're all half a million to over a million dollars apiece! As far as I can see, the egg is the only project which fits the title. Shame on you rich bastids only reviewing the spend projects. Like the American This Old House and their "little kitchen remodel" which cost $3.2 million. As Richard Marcinko succinctly stated his distaste for things of this sort: "Doom on you" ;)