The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) has awarded the Liam McCormick Prize for Ulster’s Building of the Year to the Monaghan Peace Campus, designed by Hall Black Douglas Architects. The project also won the Architects’ Choice Award which polled the views of 300 local architects.
The centre, designed for Monaghan County Council, joins a list of the finest buildings in Ulster to have won the prize which includes the Student Hub at Queen’s University Belfast’s Business School, the Lyric Theatre and Giant’s Causeway visitor centre.
The judges said, “Monaghan Peace Campus is an exemplary public building that demonstrates the strength of architecture as civic infrastructure. It transforms a constrained and dilapidated brownfield site into a generous, inclusive and confident shared space, offering Monaghan a new civic focus at the edge of its town centre.”
The Public Choice Award, in which almost 4,000 people cast their vote, was won by Nest Architects for their King’s Road House project which saw a Victorian 3-storey semi-detached house in Belfast beautifully adapted and extended.
The other 13 other project winners including McConnell’s Distillery at the Crumlin Road Jail, Ardnashee School in Derry and two social housing projects, were announced at a Gala Dinner at the Ulster Hall on 14 May 2026.
It was a great night for TODD Architects, with the practice scooping awards in three of the four categories they were shortlisted for. And, for the fifth year running, McGonigle McGrath took the New Home Award for Tollymore in Newcastle.
Ciarán Fox, Director of RSUA, said, “Architecture is for everyone. That has been the primary focus of this year’s awards. It has been a fantastic celebration which really showcases all the different types of projects that architects are delivering. It’s been a joy to see how architects’ creativity and problem-solving skills are helping communities, boosting the economy and lifting the soul.”
“Thanks to everyone who took part in our Public Choice Award. It was our first time running it and we were delighted to see there was so much interest. People get it, architecture matters, and they love to explore that mix of projects, each with its own particular beauty and function.”
Three winners in the People and Practice Awards categories were also announced at the Gala Evening. John Cole CBE was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of a distinguished career in the delivery of healthcare buildings and public infrastructure. Alex Knowles won the Rising Star Award, with the judges commending his ability to balance professional practice with advocacy and heritage work. White Ink Architects, Northern Ireland’s first employee owned business, were named Practice of the Year. The judges were impressed by the practice’s commitment to high quality design at scale and a commitment to its people. To read more about the People and Practice Awards winners, click here.
The full list of Award winners are below. More information, including project plans, drawings and judges’ citations can be found here.
Monaghan Peace Campus by Hall Black Douglas
Location: Monaghan
Client: Monaghan County Council
Other Awards: Architects Choice Award, Regional Public Building Award, Accessible & Inclusive Design Award
King’s Road House by Nest Architects
Location: Belfast
Client: Chris & Amy Taggart
Tollymore by McGonigle McGrath
Location: Newcastle
Client: James & Gabrielle Burns
Sámhnas
Location: Portsalon
Architect: MacGabhann Architects
FEA House
Location: Hillsborough
Architect: Marshall McCann Architects
Sam’s Cottage by Patrick Bradley Architect
Location: Ballymena
Client: Marie & Stephen Roulston
Other Awards: Project Architect Award
The Turnaround House
Location: Belfast
Architect: John Reid & Lynda Crawford
The Savoy by McGarry-Moon Architects
Location: Bangor
Client: Clanmil Housing
Ross Street Mews by Studiorogers Architects
Location: Belfast
Client: Radius Housing
The Residences at King’s Hall by TODD Architects
Location: Belfast
Client: KH (Balmoral)
Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service – Learning & Development College by Kennedy FitzGerald Architects and Arcadis
Location: Cookstown
Client: Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service
Belfast Grand Central Station
Location: Belfast
Architect: RPP Architects Ltd / Concept Architects – John McAslan & Partners
Ardnashee School & College – Northland Road Academy by Samuel Stevenson & Sons
Location: Derry/ Londonderry
Client: Education Authority
Other Awards: Client of the Year Award
Queen’s Quay Kiosk by MMAS Architects & OGU Architects
Location: Belfast
Client: Belfast City Council with Maritime Trust
1774 Pavilion
Location: Lisburn
Architect: Studio idir
McConnell’s Distillery at Crumlin Road Gaol by Like Architects
Location: Belfast
Client: Belfast Distillery Company
Shankill Shared Women’s Centre by TODD Architects
Location: Belfast
Client: Belfast City Council and Shankill Shared Women’s Centre
Custom House Belfast by TODD Architects
Location: Belfast
Client: Straidorn Properties
The Keep
Location: Belfast
Architect: Like Architects
The ii (Innishowen Innovation)
Location: Donegal
Architect: MacGabhann Architects
Irish Salt Mines Exploration (ISME) New Headquarters by Knox Clayton Architects
Location: Carrickfergus
Client: Irish Salt Mines Exploration (ISME)
The Marcus Portrush
Location: Portrush
Architect: Consarc Design
Meadow of Eve by Arigho Larmour Wheeler Architects
Location: Dublin
Client: Private
On the Bay
Location: Galway
Architect: Arigho Larmour Wheeler Architects
Canada Water, Plot K
Location: London
Architect: White Ink Architects
John Cole CBE
Alex Knowles
White Ink Architects
The RSUA Architecture Awards 2026 were sponsored by:
