A council housing project in Croydon, designed by Mary Duggan Architects with Ruff Architects, has been named Britain’s best new building, winning the prestigious RIBA Stirling prize. This marks only the second time a council housing project has received this award, highlighting a significant achievement in council-led housebuilding.
The project, located on a steeply sloping site with mature trees, features crystalline pink and brown brick towers offering generous flats with views of allotments, playgrounds, and the south London hills. It is seen as a vindication of Croydon council’s former housebuilding company, Brick by Brick, which faced challenges before its halt in 2020.