28/02/2025
The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) has announced the final seven contenders for the best works of architecture in Northern Ireland in 2025. The shortlisted projects are:
| Project name | Location | Architect(s) |
| One Elmwood, Queen’s University | Belfast | Hawkins/Brown and RPP Architects |
| Roddy McCorley Heritage Centre | Belfast | McGurk Architects |
| Silver Bark House | Hillsborough | Marshall McCann Architects |
| Student Hub, Queen’s Business School | Belfast | TODD Architects |
| Light House | Holywood | McGonigle McGrath Architects |
| Templemore Baths | Belfast | McAdam Design and Consarc Design Group |
| New Gate Arts and Culture Centre | Derry | McGurk Architects |
Ciarán Fox, Director of RSUA, commented, “This year’s shortlist is a wonderful blend of the old and the new. It’s great to see innovative architecture breathing life into existing structures. It’s one of the most sustainable moves a client can make. We also have a couple of new builds which are excellent examples of successfully delivering the low-carbon agenda in a beautiful way.”
“We are proud to recognise and celebrate the architects, clients, and wider teams who have contributed to these projects, each demonstrating elements of delight, invention, or ambition deserving of further examination.”
To be considered for this year’s awards, projects had to be in use for at least one year, allowing the judging panel to assess their sustainability and real-world performance more effectively. This ensures that the RSUA Design Awards remain the most rigorous benchmark for outstanding architecture in Northern Ireland. RSUA continues to prioritise design excellence that takes into account environmental impact, carbon footprint, and long-term sustainability.
Each project will now be visited by the panel for a rigorous round of judging that will lead to the winners’ announcement in early May 2025. This year, local designer Sara O’Neill joins a distinguished panel of architects from Ireland and the United Kingdom including Trevor Leaker from AECOM, Bob Allies from Allies and Morrison and Charlotte Sheridan from Sheridan Woods.
The winners of this year’s RSUA Design Awards will be unveiled at a ceremony on Thursday 8 May 2025 in the Ulster University Belfast Campus, designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. This building won the Liam McCormack Prize for NI Building of the Year at the RSUA Design Awards in 2024.
The RSUA Design Awards 2025 judges are:
Trevor Leaker
– Architect from NI
– Director at AECOM
– Member of the RSUA Design Quality Panel
Bob Allies
– Architect from Great Britain
– Partner at Allies and Morrison
– Member of RIBA National Judging Panel
Charlotte Sheridan
– Architect from Republic of Ireland
– Director at Sheridan Woods
– Past President of Royal Institute of Architects Ireland
Sara O’Neill
– Lay judge
– Artist and stylist
Ben James
– Architect and sustainability expert
– PhD Researcher at Ulster University
– Chair of the RSUA Climate Emergency Committee
Brian Quinn
– Architect and conservation expert
– Senior Architect in Minor Capital Delivery Service, Infrastructure and Capital Development at the Education Authority NI
– Chair of the RSUA Conservation Committee
