Share this on

Accordia Wins Prestigious 2008 Stirling Prize

The winning team was announced during a televised award ceremony in Liverpool.

Laurel Petriello -- Interior Design, 10/20/2008 12:00:00 AM

Heavy competition vied for the 2008 Stirling Prize this fall in the United Kingdom. Comprised of Britain’s architectural cream of the crop, early outcome predictions ran the gamut as a clear-cut winner was not apparent. Ultimately claiming the 13th Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize, the U.K.’s most prestigious architectural award, was Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Alison Brooks Architects, and Maccreanor Lavington for their collaboration on the Accordia residential community in Cambridge.

This year’s honor was presented on Saturday, October 11 in a televised ceremony at the Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool. Accordia defeated five finalist projects designed by Zaha Hadid Architects; Denton Corker Marshall; Grimshaw and ARCADIS Architecten; Allies and Morrison; and Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.

Photography by Tim Crocker

Setting a new standard for large-scale residential, Accordia architects set out to create volume housing that did not sacrifice design and quality. Additionally, the development fosters a connection between indoor and outdoor living featuring interior rooftop spaces, internal courtyards, and community gardens.

Commenting on the winning project, Stirling Prize judges stated, “This is high-density housing at its very best, demonstrating that volume house-builders can deliver high quality architecture…The whole scheme is about relationships: between architect and developer/contractor/client; between three very different firms of architects: Feilden Clegg Bradley, Maccreanor Lavington and Alison Brooks Architects; and between private and public external spaces...”

Phase one of the project was completed in 2006 with the final phase slated for completion in 2010.

Images courtesy of RIBA and Redeham Homes. Article features photography by Tim Crocker.