The winners of the eighth annual AJ Student Prize have been announced, celebrating outstanding final-year architecture students across the United Kingdom. The prestigious competition, which recognizes both undergraduate and postgraduate students from RIBA and ARB-accredited schools nationwide, received over 100 entries this year with a remarkable 100 percent participation rate from eligible institutions.
The judging panel, consisting of former RIBA president and Mace senior architectural manager Muyiwa Oki, Urban Radicals partner Era Savvides, CARD Projects founder Katie Fisher, and writer and architect Derin Fadina from Barr Gazetas, evaluated submissions during an energetic session on Wednesday, October 8. The jury ultimately selected three winners whose projects addressed highly relevant contemporary issues: Palestine, the RAAC crisis, and building retrofit initiatives.
In the undergraduate category, Sophie Page from Cardiff University's Welsh School of Architecture claimed the Part 1 winner title for her project "Running Wild." Her innovative design combines the retrofit and material reuse of a 1940s factory with children's play spaces, creating a layered transformation that unfolds in phases through hands-on involvement. The project envisions young people becoming stewards of their changing environment, which evolves naturally over time.
The judges praised Page's work enthusiastically, stating: "Reuse of abandoned factories is something that we will have to grapple with. This project is beautiful, solid, joyful, bold and imaginative in the way it approaches that problem. The student has approached retrofit in a very convincing way. Retrofit is hard enough as it is. We want people to be excited by it, and this project does just that." Upon receiving her award, Page expressed her gratitude, saying she was overwhelmed to be recognized among such incredible talent.
The postgraduate category proved particularly competitive this year, with judges seeking schemes that fundamentally questioned the direction of the architecture industry. They looked for projects that were important, challenging, and research-based. The high standard of submissions led to both a highly commended award and an overall winner being selected.
Yana Shaban from the Architectural Association received the highly commended prize for her remarkable project "Re-Framing the Hollow." Developed in collaboration with local NGO RIWAQ, the project addresses stone misappropriation issues in Palestine's West Bank while exploring the quarry's cultural significance as a form of resistance. Originally conceived as a school for students affected by demolition orders, the final design hosts charities, NGOs, and the local community, with construction focusing on reuse and low-tech approaches.
The judges were particularly impressed with Shaban's work, noting: "There is a tendency for students to have a very timely concept and as such the consequence becomes mediocre. But the amount of rigor and seriousness with which this project has been treated is fantastic. It makes a political statement yet is super sensitive."
Amy Wilkinson from the London School of Architecture emerged as the postgraduate winner for her Part 2 project "School is City, City is School." Her innovative approach uses the RAAC crisis as a catalyst to examine both the technical failure of the material and deeper typological redundancy in the UK's mainstream school system. Using Hornsey School as a testbed, the project responds to the Department for Education's policy on RAAC management and capital funding, critiquing current like-for-like replacement tendencies while reframing decants as a design tool.
The judges declared Wilkinson's project "more than commendable," emphasizing that it "ticks all the boxes" by questioning the role of architects today and their value to society. They noted: "This is what the AJ Student Prize is about: taking a real problem, being engaged with what's happening around us and trying to find a solution that can seriously help." Wilkinson, currently working as an architectural assistant at AHMM, expressed appreciation for the recognition of her exploration into how architects can engage with urgent challenges in education, policy, and social and environmental sustainability.
The awards ceremony took place on Thursday, October 9, at HTA Design's retrofitted offices in Hackney Wick. This year marked a significant milestone with complete participation from all ARB or RIBA-accredited courses across the country, including newcomer Bath Spa University, which celebrated its first graduating cohort and is launching a Master of Architecture program. The University of Staffordshire will become eligible to participate next year.
Editors of the AJ Student Prize edition, Derin Fadina and Fran Williams, praised this year's submissions despite current industry challenges. They highlighted the imaginative and rigorous work produced by the cohorts, noting projects that tackled diverse briefs ranging from silviculture and insect cohabitation to wellness centers, disposal of deceased bodies, and space debris management. The prize, supported by founding partner Marley, continues to serve as the AJ's platform for celebrating and supporting architecture students and schools across the United Kingdom.
