In 2025, RSUA reviewed the Awards process. Ahead of entries opening on Friday 16 January, here is some information that may be helpful to anyone who’s thinking of entering.
Open to All
The guiding principle of the Awards review has been a belief that every member of RSUA is doing something worthy of celebration.
The changes to the Awards aim to:
engage more of our members
better celebrate the many different ways that architects and architecture contribute positively to society here
increase engagement, from the public and decision makers, with architecture
recognise both the architecture being delivered in Ulster and the wide range of work being delivered outside of Ulster by our local architects
Key changes
There will be no entry fee
The entry process will be administratively light
The period of building occupation before a project can be entered will be reduced
Every entry based in Ulster will be visited initially by one judge
Every entry will be profiled
Categories will be introduced
There will be a Public Choice Award and an Architects Choice Award
Projects from all 9 counties of Ulster will be eligible and there will be an award for RSUA members working outside of Ulster
The awards will be named the RSUA Architecture Awards
The entry deadline for the RSUA Awards will be in February 2026
RIBA Awards connection
To facilitate the changes to the RSUA Awards there will no longer be a direct alignment between the RSUA Awards and the RIBA Northern Ireland Awards, starting with the 2026 Awards.
RSUA will continue to use the RIBA judging criteria in the RSUA Awards and we will be seeking to co-ordinate the judging visits so that one judging visit will cover both the RSUA Awards and the RIBA NI Awards. As the RSUA Awards will be free to enter, there will no doubling-up of entry fees.
RSUA categories
The provisional categories for the RSUA Architecture Awards 2026 are:
Project Awards (12)
Regional public building of the year (larger public buildings)
Local public building of the year (smaller public buildings)
New-build house of the Year
House extension or refurbishment of the year
Social housing development of the year
Private residential development of the year
Small Project of the Year
Conservation Award
Community architecture Award
Regeneration Award
Work and Leisure architecture Award (office, retail, hospitality, tourism etc)
Ireland and Great Britain Award (projects by RSUA members outside Ulster)
People and Practice Awards (4)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Practice of the Year Award
Emerging practice Award
Rising Star Award (an individual)
Discretionary Awards (3)
Sustainability Award
Project Architect of the Year
Client of the Year
Overarching Awards (3)
Public Choice Award (decided by public vote)
Architects Choice Award (every RSUA member will have a vote)
Liam McCormick Prize for the Best Building in Ulster (decided by the judging panel)
If a project does not fit neatly into any of the agreed Award categories it will still be possible to enter the Awards.
Awards timeline
DATE
DETAIL
Friday 16 January 2026
Entries open
Friday 13 February 2026
Entries close (4 weeks to enter)
Monday 23 February – Friday 6 March 2026
Initial project assessment visits to take place by the panel of shortlisting judges.
