The refurbishment of a Grade II* listed lido, a school’s innovative new health centre, and a curved, timber-lined theatre are among the 14 projects that have been shortlisted for the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) South East awards 2026.
The shortlisted projects are:
Bulls Barn by Selencky Parsons Architects
Casa Bassa by Francesco Pierazzi Architects
Clay Rise by Templeton Ford
Farm House by Trace Architects
Field House by Wilkinson King Architects
High House by BakerBrown Studio
Ightham Mote Visitor Reception and Shop by Reed Watts Architects
Mayfield School Health & Wellbeing Centre by Adam Richards Architects
Monkton by Sandy Rendel Architects
New House, Sevenoaks School by Tim Ronalds Architects
Rye Harbour Discovery Centre by Simpson & Brown
Saltdean Lido Main Building by R H Partnership Architects (rhp)
The Richard Cairns Building, Brighton College by KRFT Architecture studio & Nicholas Hare Architects
The Works by Felix Lewis Architects
RIBA South East Jury Chair, Craig Sheach, Partner at PRP, said:
“The jury are delighted to have shortlisted an incredibly diverse range of schemes, from bespoke new-build homes and deftly reimagined heritage buildings to bold and beautifully crafted civic interventions. These projects show how the boundaries of architecture can be pushed in new and different directions, exploring ways to understand and improve social interaction as well as challenging preconceived notions of spatial organisation.
They exploit new and emerging materials or deepen our understanding of how to bring existing structures back to life. Irrespective of the building type or brief, they all take the hard path, exploring the road less travelled in the search of craft, quality and human interaction. We are excited about this shortlist which truly highlights the strength and depth of design within the South east region.”
What happens next
All projects shortlisted for RIBA Awards will be visited by a regional jury, and the winning projects will be announced later this spring.
The winners will then be considered for several RIBA South East Special Awards, including the RIBA South East Sustainability Award and RIBA South East Building of the Year, before being considered for a highly coveted RIBA National Award, which will be announced in summer.
The shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize – the UK’s best new building – will be drawn from the RIBA National Award-winning projects and announced in September. The Stirling Prize winner will be announced in October.