Three AHMM Projects Finalists for the AT Test of Time Awards 28.07.26

Westminster Academy, Hawley Wharf and White Collar Factory have been named finalists in this year’s Architecture Today Test of Time Awards.

These awards represent a cultural shift away from celebrating newness and towards a focus on longevity with a greater emphasis on building performance evaluation and shared learning, helping the industry understand how building adapt, endure and continue to serve their users over time.

Hawley Wharf, a finalist for the Mixed Use & Retail Award, transforms a constrained, underused Camden Town site into a mixed-use quarter that strengthens the area’s identity and reconnects it with its wider context. The masterplan included eight new buildings, three new public spaces, refurbishment of existing railway viaducts and two existing buildings, including the Grade II Listed 1 Hawley Road. Uses include affordable and private homes, a primary school, workspace, retail, workshops, Everyman cinema and commercial market buildings. The ambition of the project was to extend Camden Market’s character without overwhelming it and provide a space that will continue to evolve to the changing needs of the users. The restoration of five fire-damaged houses on Chalk Farm reinstated a high street frontage, while flexible market buildings, retail arches, homes and workspace, education and public spaces support a diverse, adaptable place rooted in Camden’s existing identity.

Westminster Academy, a finalist for the Education Award, is a secondary school in West London, housing 1,175 pupils and 128 staff members. Located on Harrow Road, the simple form of the building, responding to the need for a fully sealed building, has a bold, expressive façade stratified into large panels of glazing, vibrantly coloured terracotta tiles, creating a new civic landmark. The central atrium acts as the hub of the school with supergraphics and openness which has fostered a culture of collaboration among staff and students. The Sports Hall is housed in a separate building to allow for year-round community use. Since completion in 2007, the Westminster Academy building has proved to be more than an architectural landmark, it has been a catalyst for sustained academic improvement, community engagement and civic contribution. Its design has consistently supported the Academy’s mission to deliver high aspirations within an inclusive, outward facing environment.

White Collar Factory, a finalist for the Workplace Award, completed in 2017 and comprises of a 16-storey tower with retail space, residential units and a public square along with a 150m rooftop running track for building users. The development was the result of an eight-year research collaboration between AHMM, Derwent London, AKT II and Arup with the objective to create a highly efficient, low operational energy building, establishing five key principles that shaped WCF: high ceilings, deep floorplates, simple passive facades, concrete structure and smart servicing. WCF continues to demonstrate the long-term value of high-quality, innovative design with best-in-class space and amenities ensuring the building remains a highly relevant and competitive office product more than ten years after completion.

All finalists will present their projects to the jury at the Live Finals on 09 September, with winners announced at the winner’s party in November.