It’s always special to have hard work recognised, but particularly so when it’s by such a renowned and respected professional body as the Royal Institute of British Architects.

The nine flats at Crosland Place (aka The Lavender Hill Courtyard Housing Project) were one of 52 projects awarded a London region RIBA Award back in May 2023. The projects had to bed down for one year after completion so that the plants and trees settled in as well as the people living there.

Part of the submission process included needing to illustrate the efficiency of the buildings and how close they were to the forecasts. This required the residents getting involved and sending us their first year of utility bills.

It has been rewarding to see that all of our fellow awardees had also finished their buildings after facing post-Brexit distribution issues with materials, and navigating the Covid-19 lockdowns that affected both the building processes and subsequent move-ins.

Delighted as we were with the London RIBA Award, we are prouder still to find that the site has now received a National RIBA Award! The National Awards are given to buildings across the UK in recognition of their significant contribution to Architecture.

Caroline Marston