Awards 2026

In October 2026, the St Albans Civic Society Building & Design Awards presentation was held at the Abbey Theatre. Projects completed in 2024 and 2025 were showcased and the winners were revealed.  Details of all the projects recognised are shown on this page.

SOCIAL HOUSING

The Hedges, Woollam Crescent - WINNER

This St Albans City and District Council social housing project is an excellent example of thoughtfully designed new social housing that brings 12 attractive, sustainable homes to Woollam Crescent. High-quality brickwork, neat roof detailing and a consistent standard of finish has resulted in a development that combines good craftsmanship, practical living space and environmental responsibility. The Hedges demonstrates that social housing can make a positive architectural contribution to its neighbourhood while creating welcoming homes for the people who live there.

DOMESTIC -  NEW BUILD

Haven Place - WINNER

Haven Place is an inspiring development of three contemporary family homes that places sustainability at the heart of good residential design, ably demonstrating how highly energy-efficient housing can be achieved on a modest scale.

 The homes combine generous, light-filled and flexible living spaces with attractive gardens and a sensitive relationship to their greener surroundings. Their contemporary design is matched by a rigorous approach to construction, using off-site timber framing, high levels of insulation and airtightness informed by Passivhaus principles.

 Haven Place is both an appealing place to live and a persuasive demonstration of what thoughtful, technically accomplished housebuilding can achieve. The appearance of the houses is strikingly different from that found in most modern small schemes and the quality of workmanship both inside and out is striking. Overall, this is an excellent demonstration of how Passivhaus can be built on a budget that isn't eye-watering.

No.1 Mount Pleasant - COMMENDED

No.1 Mount Pleasant is a carefully considered contemporary home whose design draws inspiration from the traditional materials and character of St Albans. Set among a sequence of terraces and gardens, the house establishes a close relationship between its architecture and the surrounding landscape. The terraces and garden spaces form an important part of the overall composition, allowing the building and its setting to be appreciated together. No.1 Mount Pleasant offers an engaging example of how a new home can draw confidently on local architectural heritage while expressing a design identity of its own.

DOMESTIC -  REFURBISHMENT and RESTORATION

Bankhart House, Fishpool Street - WINNER

Bankhart House, on historic Fishpool Street, is a superb example of the sensitive restoration of a listed building. The project combines exceptional craftsmanship with a deep respect for the building’s age, individuality and architectural character, while making it a comfortable and practical home for today.

 

Original windows have been painstakingly repaired, and the decorative render and pargetting on the frontage have been reinstated with reference to historic evidence, providing a stunning addition to the streetscape. Bankhart House is a richly detailed and accomplished restoration that preserves the spirit of a remarkable historic home and secures its continued use for generations to come and overall an excellent example of the sensitive refurbishment of a listed building, a project of quality and sensitivity.

 

COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL/MIXED USE

Jubilee Square, Victoria Street - WINNER

Jubilee Square is a major addition to the centre of St Albans area, and the judges recognised the scale and complexity of creating a coherent mixed-use development on this important site. 
The scheme represents a significant investment in the future of St Albans and is an important step in renewing this central location, bringing a range of activities together and establishing the framework for a lively, connected neighbourhood, and enriching city-centre life. The design is ambitious and distinctive, providing a lighter aesthetic compared to the existing buildings on Victoria Street.

 

Old Electricity Works, Campfield Road - COMMENDED

The Old Electricity Works is an ambitious example of bringing a substantial former industrial site back into productive use. Its transformation into a residential development creates new homes on previously developed land while retaining references to the site's working past. The scheme illustrates the possibilities of adapting urban brownfield land to meet contemporary housing needs, combining new residential use with a visible connection to local industrial heritage and offering this previously industrial site an important future.

 

Flats 1-5, 42 Verulam Road - COMMENDED

The refurbishment of 42 Verulam Road has retained the building's distinctive curved form, along with the established Rug Maker showroom at ground-floor level, while five flats occupy the floors above. The use of a crown roof set back from the facade minimises the impact of the additional storey, demonstrating clever design principles and reflecting the care invested in the scheme as a whole. By repairing and improving an existing building rather than replacing it, the project preserves a recognisable feature of the streetscape and extends its useful life. The result is a smart, confident refurbishment that combines homes and commercial activity and makes a very welcome and elegant contribution to Verulam Road.

 

COMMERCIAL REFURBISHMENT - OFFICES

Queen's House, Victoria Street - WINNER

Queen’s House is an outstanding example of imaginative commercial refurbishment, giving a former hat-making factory a vibrant new life as a contemporary workplace. The project celebrates the building’s industrial heritage, allowing its original character and materials to become defining features of the finished scheme.

 Queen’s House shows how the best of a building’s past can provide the foundation for its future, combining excellent conservation-minded design with forward-looking commercial use. It successfully strengthens the part the building plays in the townscape and gives presence to what has been a dull section of this street, bringing this prominent corner plot back to life and rejuvenating the immediate area.

 

Verulam Point, Station Way - COMMENDED

Verulam Point demonstrates how an established office building can be given a fresh identity and a more appealing working environment through thoughtful refurbishment. The reshaping of the front and the creation of a bold new atrium give this building more presence in the street scene. The new atrium also introduces daylight, openness and a much more welcoming reception area. The project also stands out for its investment in environmental improvements. Expanded electric-vehicle charging, secure cycle parking and shower facilities encourage more sustainable journeys to work and speak of attracting a new type of client. The quality of finish is excellent; overall, Verulam Point is a strong illustration of the benefits of renewing an existing commercial building, improving both the everyday experience of its occupants and its longer-term environmental performance.

 

COMMERCIAL REFURBISHMENT - HOSPITALITY

Iberos, George Street - WINNER

Ibēros is an exceptionally accomplished transformation of a listed building on George Street and brings fresh energy to a cherished part of the city, creating a stylish and welcoming restaurant while celebrating the character of its historic setting.

 A modest rear extension and rooflight bring light into the heart of the building, while carefully chosen recycled materials create an interior rich in texture and individuality. Ibēros combines craftsmanship, creative reuse and contemporary hospitality design to remarkable effect. It is a confident and sensitive refurbishment that enhances both the building itself and the experience of George Street.

 

Moka, Holywell Hill - COMMENDED &

THE PEOPLES AWARD - WINNER

Moka has brought a new and welcoming use to the former Seed Hall, a Grade II listed building closely associated with Samuel Ryder and an important part of St Albans’ commercial history. Its impressive open interior and distinctive domed glazed roof provide a memorable setting for contemporary hospitality. The refurbishment is especially successful in the way it works with the scale and character of this historic space. Throughout, the contemporary design sits comfortably alongside the original architecture. Moka demonstrates the value of finding an imaginative new purpose for a treasured building, allowing more people to enjoy its historic character and giving the former Seed Hall a lively future.

PUBLIC REALM

Civic Centre Rose Garden Regeneration

St Albans and District Heritage

 

TREVELYAN PRIZE

Haven Place - Winner

The Trevelyan Prize honours the Trevelyan family and the Society’s founders. Sir Geoffrey Trevelyan founded St Albans Civic Society in 1961. The prize has been associated with outstanding restoration and conservation, celebrating sensitive treatment of historic buildings and skilled craftsmanship. Past projects which were honoured include the St Albans Cathedral Welcome Centre.

It has traditionally celebrated outstanding conservation and restoration. This year, we have deliberately broadened its scope to recognise exceptional architectural and environmental achievement. In awarding the prize to Haven Place, we celebrate a project that brings together imaginative design, outstanding energy efficiency and a commitment to more sustainable homes. It reflects both our respect for St Albans’ architectural heritage and our responsibility to shape its future, to recognise exceptional architectural and environmental achievement. Haven Place, a sustainable new-build scheme, exemplifies that commitment and is awarded this year's Trevelyan Prize.