Pick carefully...

WORDS SUSIE LOBER, PREVIOUS RIBA JURY MEMBER AND INDEPENDENT MARKETING CONSULTANT

It seems there is an award for everything, from the best door handle to the Pritzker Prize. So how do you go about choosing the right award to enter? Most, although not all, have a cost attached and it’s best to be selective. Which award is worth the headache of ‘image upload failure’ at 11.59pm?

When considering the validity of an award, ask:

1. What is the quality of previous winners?

2. Is this just a vanity award available to purchase?

3. Who are the judges and do they visit shortlisted buildings?

4. Are drawings, as well as photos, considered?

5. How is the client viewpoint taken into consideration?

6. What sustainability credentials are assessed?

There has been a welcome shift in recent years towards awards taking sustainability more seriously. The RIBA regional awards, for instance, must include a year’s worth of in-occupancy data and calculations for embodied carbon. RIBA Award winners are expected to meet statutory targets in achieving sustainable outcomes, and measure and verify how they perform.

In 2022, Architecture Today launched a new awards programme to recognise buildings that have stood the test of time. It aims to contribute to the shared learning that is essential if we are to bring about the step change in performance that the industry desperately needs.

The Architects’ Journal Retrofit awards have been running for almost 15 years and continue to grow in popularity. This year, for the first time, it is introducing a live judging element of peer review for three categories, which will, hopefully, add to the rigour and transparency of the awarding process.

While peer review can be validating, even the nomination process can create an opportunity for self-reflection and continuous improvement.

UK Architects Declare and Architecture Today have also recently launched the Regenerative Architecture Index, which sets out to benchmark practices’ progress towards regenerative practice and projects. It recognises the need for a built environment that isn’t merely reducing its negative for everything from a bandstand to a ruin, requires no data on environmental performance of a building. impacts, but also having positive impacts for today and the long term.

Beware of awards that claim to recognise sustainability without any specific criteria to assess it. The Green Apple Awards claim to have rewarded and promoted environmental best practice since 1994. However, the application for a ‘Beautiful Building Award’ in 2024, which includes categories

A 200-word ‘sustainability’ footnote to an award entry is not enough. Judges receive sustainable credentials and energy-use data of varying quality –sometimes because of the lack of information being available; sometimes because of a lack of knowledge on how to measure. Demonstrating an understanding of how to measure sustainability could really make your award submission stand out. LETI publications, which are free to download from its website, are a useful starting point. You can also refer to the CIBSE energy assessment and reporting method (TM22), and the RIBA post-occupancy evaluation primer.

Growing recognition of sustainability in awards is a beacon of hope, signalling a crucial shift towards a greener future. Let’s not just celebrate these achievements, but see them as calls to action, reminding us of the courage needed to innovate and challenge norms for sustainability. These accolades inspire us to push boundaries and lead the way towards a thriving planet and society.