Three AHMM projects shortlisted in the Building Awards 20.07.26

1 Broadgate, Metropolis and Urbanest Battersea have been shortlisted for the Building Awards, which recognise and celebrate the very best of UK Construction.

1 Broadgate, shortlisted for Building Magazine Project of the Year, provides flexible accommodation for a mix of uses, including two levels of retail space and 12 storeys of office space above, in the southern part of the Broadgate campus in the City of London. The building footprint frames the public space around Broadgate Circle, formally addressing the southern edge of Finsbury Avenue Square, and clearly defining the north-south pedestrian axis along Finsbury Avenue. The building’s sculpted massing reduces its apparent scale while simultaneously creating a distinctive architectural identity. At upper levels massing is sculpted to maintain sunlight to Broadgate’s key public spaces, while lower-level volumes pull apart to create entrances and retail arcades through the building. The elevations' metal fins are coloured to express the building’s stacked volumes, gradually darkening from base to top in earthy and autumnal colours.

Metropolis, shortlisted for Retrofit of the Year, extends and refurbishes the nine-storey Woolworth House, originally designed by Richard Seifert in 1955 as the UK headquarters of the US retailer F.W. Woolworth, and located in the Dorset Square Conservation Area in the City of Westminster. 93% of the original fabric has been reused, and the addition of a low carbon CLT extension to the rear, clad in flamboyant glazed terracotta and invisible to passersby, has created a 175,000 square foot office hub for a diverse mix of occupiers. Metropolis has been ambitiously designed to set new workplace standards, with wellbeing and experience at its core with the integration of 20,00 square feet of amenity spaces, 12,000 square feet of terraces enriched with planting and greenery, and high specification cycle store and associated facilities. Focusing on the reuse of a strong existing fabric, upgrades revitalise the building to exceed the needs of office workers in this prime central London location.

Urbanest Battersea, shortlisted for a Net Zero Award, is a new highly sustainable development comprising three student buildings, a dedicated commercial building, public house, café and Enterprise Business Unit (EBU), located opposite the Battersea Power station development. It is the first Passivhaus student housing development in London and the largest Passivhaus certified building in the UK providing 852 student rooms. The four blocks step in height and twist to open to key views with a unifying base around courtyard gardens, creating a varied silhouette. Their glazed terracotta façades in a vibrant colour palette of red, green and blue draw on the industrial heritage of the site. At ground and roof level, the landscape makes a wider community contribution through a series of interconnected spaces designed for both quiet use and social interaction.

Winners will be announced at the annual awards ceremony in November.