Projects by Níall McLaughlin Architects, Squire & Partners, and ritchie*studio are among the winners selected by this year’s distinguished awards jury.

Now in their ninth year, the Schüco Excellence Awards attracted a wide range of high-calibre projects from practices both large and small. Once again, the awards demonstrated that successful facade design is dependent on a range of interrelated factors – not least ensuring good energy performance and daylighting while meeting demanding aesthetic and technical criteria necessitated by the brief and architectural parti.

Invariably these elements are underpinned by close collaboration between a knowledgeable but open-minded design team, a receptive manufacturer with first-rate products, and a creative and highly expert specialist contractor. Taken together, these factors exemplify the ethos of the Schüco Excellence Awards and explain in part why the awards continue to be held in such high regard within the construction industry.

Chaired by Architecture Today editor Isabel Allen, the jury architects Pankaj Patel, Ingrid Petit, Carol Patterson (all previous Schüco award winners) and Fiona Scott, as well as environmental designer Innes Johnston, and Steve Mudie and Harry Montrésor – both of whom have specialist knowledge of facade design. Danny Fitzgerald, National Sales Manager: Commercial and Steel at Schüco, supported the judges with additional technical insight.

In their assessment of the entries, the judges focused on four key criteria: creativity, innovation, technical skill and creative collaboration. Does the project demonstrate design quality on a macro and/or micro scale? Is there evidence of significant innovation in terms of design, detail or construction expertise? Does the project show high levels of technical skill in its detailed design and/or assembly? Does the project demonstrate a productive and creative collaboration between the designer, specialist contractor and/or manufacturer?

The winning and commended projects were announced at a live awards event hosted by Charlie Luxton on 30 June, and feature in a special supplement to Architecture Today issue 320.

Read on to discover this year’s winners and view the supplement for a full analysis and jury statements on each project.

Winning projects

Overall Winner

Project: Master’s Field Development, Oxford
Architect: Níall McLaughlin Architects
Specialist contractor: Alucraft Systems
Client: Balliol College, University of Oxford
Photo: Nick Kane

Judges comments:
“The project is a beautiful essay in how to build in a sensitive context. The highly refined facades use Schüco windows to striking effect” Pankaj Patel

“This thoughtful, high-quality project works at many different scales, from its collegiate context to the beautiful detailing of the facades” Fiona Scott

“The way that the windows are integrated into the deep, brick-faced facade bays is expertly handled” Ingrid Petit

Commercial and Mixed-Use Development Winner

Project: Sussex House, London
Architect: ritchie*studio
Specialist contractor: NA Curtain Walling
Client: Longmartin Properties
Photo: Adam Scott

The project’s accomplished urban and environmental response was praised by the judges, as was the sophisticated way in which the facade components, including curtain walling, cast glass sections, and decorative spandrel panels have been brought together to form a homogeneous and highly refined aesthetic.

Cultural Building Winner

Project: Fire Station Auditorium, Sunderland
Architect: Flanagan Lawrence
Specialist contractor: Entec Design
Client: Sunderland Music Arts and Culture Trust
Photo: Andrew Heptinstall Photography

The judges complimented the project on its compositional strength, unfussy detailing, and skilful execution. They also felt that the curtain walling and brise soleil elements, which form the main visual focus externally, were particularly well resolved.

Health, Education and Leisure Winner

Project: Master’s Field Development, Oxford
Architect: Níall McLaughlin Architects
Specialist contractor: Alucraft Systems
Client: Balliol College, University of Oxford
Photo: Nick Kane

This project wowed the judges with its contextual sensitivity, technical prowess, build quality, and beauty. They were also impressed by the highly considered and crisp facade detailing employed throughout the scheme.

Refurbishment and Adaptive Reuse Winner

Project: The Marlo, London
Architect: Barbara Weiss Architects
Specialist contractor: Park Architectural
Client: Dorrington
Photo: Paul Riddle

The jury praised the project for its ability to knit together several seemingly disparate elements into a unified and pleasing whole. It also applauded the simplicity and elegance of the facade solution, which it felt belied the project’s contextual and technical complexity.

Residential Development Winner

Project: Luma King’s Cross, London
Architect: Squire & Partners
Specialist contractor: Fleetwood Architectural Aluminium
Client: Argent
Photo: Jack Hobhouse

The jury applauded the sophistication of the facade solution and the masterful way in which multiple elements, including double-height windows, sliding doors, geometric balconies and sliding screens, have been combined to create a high-performance and visually compelling project.

Individual House Winner

Project: Quarry House, Oxfordshire
Architect: A-Zero Architects
Specialist contractor: Aumaxum Architectural Glazing
Client: Private
Photo: Michael Franke

The judges complimented the scheme on its ability to marry architectural richness with state-of-the-art environmental performance – something that can be difficult to achieve at domestic scale.

Individual House Improvement Winner

Project: St Luke’s Street, London
Architect: Lucy Wood Architects
Specialist contractor: L2i
Photo: David Butler

The jury was impressed by the elegance and originality of the project teams’ environmental approach – namely delivering abundant natural light and ventilation. It also felt that the overall design demonstrated a ‘lightness of touch’ not always found on projects of this type.

Steel Building Winner

Project: 110 Marylebone High Street, London
Architect: CSK Architects
Specialist contractor: Saper Glass Industries
Client: Howard de Walden Estate
Photo: Robby Whitfield

The jury commended the project for its contextual sensitivity, expressive detailing, and clever use of Schüco steel systems.

Specialist Contractor Winner

Project: Sunderland City Hall, Sunderland
Architect: FaulknerBrowns Architects
Specialist contractor: Dane Architectural Systems
Client: Legal & General
Photo: Alan Green Photography

The judges complimented the way in which Dane Architectural Systems took on every aspect of this complex facade, expertly integrating curtain walling, aluminium fins and stone cladding to create a satisfying and convincing piece of civic architecture.

Sustainability Winner

Project: Quarry House, Oxfordshire
Architect: A-Zero Architects
Specialist contractor: Aumaxum Architectural Glazing
Client: Private
Photo: Michael Franke

The judges were particularly impressed by the way the state-of-the-art quadruple glazing was integrated with the Schüco window and door systems, going above and beyond stringent Passivhaus standards.