The 2026 honours include OBEs for Peter St John, founder and director at Caruso St John Architects, Alison Brooks, 63, founder of Alison Brooks Architects, and Tony Fretton, 81, founder of Tony Fretton Architects, all for services to architecture.
St John has helped deliver dozens of projects as co-founder of London-based Caruso St John since the practice was set up in 1990. He recently received an RIBA international award for the Royale Belge multi-use building in Brussels and curated the architectural element of this year’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
His firm won the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2016 for its Newport Street Gallery.
Canadian-born Brooks has picked up several architecture prizes since moving to London in 1991, including the RIBA Stirling Prize for her contribution to the design of the Accordia development in 2008, the Stephen Lawrence Prize for The Wrap House, in 2006, and the Manser Medal for the Lens House in 2014. This makes her the only architect to have won all three RIBA awards.
Alison Brooks Architects’ Lens House, London – corian clad
Tony Fretton founded his eponymous practice in 1982. H is best known for buildings such as the British Embassy in Warsaw, 2009. His Fuglsang Kunstmuseum in Denmark was shortlisted for the 2009 RIBA Stirling Prize.
Fretton, 81, who wound up his practice in 2024, has worked around Europe and across several sectors, including on high-profile arts and culture projects and many well-regarded housing schemes. His standout residential developments include the Vassall Road for Crispin Kelly’s Baylight in Lambeth (2008), the €4.5 million Molenplein terrace houses in Den Helder on the North Sea coast of Holland (2013), and the Westkaai residential towers in Antwerp (2016).
David Birkbeck, 63, chief executive of Design for Homes, also received an OBE, for services to housing design. Birkbeck has long been a campaigner for better housing, having recently contributed to the AJ’s Good Homes for All 2.0 publication, which was created in partnership with Architects’ Action for Affordable Housing (AA4AH).
Also on the list for architecture-related OBE honours was Mina Hasman, sustainability director at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), for services to architecture and sustainable design, David Bonnett, 79, architect and access consultant, for services to architects and inclusive design, and Ron Arad, 79, architectural designer, for services to art and design.
The full list included nearly 1,200 people, who received honours ranging from a knighthood or dame, to an MBE, OBE, and for other titles such as Companion of Honour or a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.
Royale Belge, Watermael-Boitsfort, Brussels, Belgium, by Caruso St John Architects and Bovenbouw and Architectuur with DDS+
Source: Stijn Bollaert