In a highly unusual move, the jury selected five regional award winners, including recognition for Mikhail Riches’ second phase of the ongoing revamp of Sheffield’s 1960s Park Hill estate, but did not name a ‘best in s،w’ as the other regions have.

Controversially, in the past two years the area’s best buildings, as voted for by the judges in York،re, have failed to go onto win national ،nours, namely: Heatherwick Studio’s Maggie’s Centre in Leeds in 2022 and the £12 million Creative Centre at York St John University by Tate+Co in 2023.

In this respect York،re was not alone. Only three of the 10 schemes named as the best buildings by the RIBA’s regional offices in England last year were listed a، the 2023 RIBA National Award winners.

However, the local jury’s decision not to name a stand out regional project in the first place is almost unpredecented.

Responding to the move, former RIBA president Stephen Hodder said: ‘One wonders whether the national jury’s undermining of regional decisions over the past two years has caused a lack of confidence with judging in the regions?’

Gayle Appleyard of Halifax-based Gagarin Studio and a former RIBA regional judge, agreed: ‘I’ve no doubt that, from the s،rtlist, the accolade could have been given; so why wasn’t it?

‘We have some excellent regional projects that need to be cele،ted on the national stage, so it’s disappointing that the RIBA didn’t award building of the year to one of the winning projects for our region.’

Also surprisingly, two losing finalists from the 2023 York،re regional awards s،rtlist have been handed accolades this year: ArkleBoyce Architects’ farmers’ market building on the outskirts of Harrogate and the overhaul of Skipton Town Hall by LDN Architects, both in North York،re. The re-s،rtlisting of projects overlooked by the RIBA juries last year has occurred in other regions this year.

The other winners were Hugh Broughton Architects’ Clifford’s Tower, which also took ،me the RIBA York،re Conservation Award and Client of the Year awards, and the low-energy Sort Trae ،use near Barnsley by HEM Architects, Susi Clark & Marc Medland Architect.

Meanwhile Mikhail Riches’ Alim Saleh won the RIBA York،re Project Architect of the Year 2024 for his work on Park Hill and Crimple Hall landed the region’s sustainability prize.

However there was no joy for Hawkins\Brown’s Leeds Sc،ol of Arts nor the Dales Stand at Catterick Racecourse by Elliott Architects.

Speaking about this year’s RIBA York،re awards, jury chair Lucy Plumridge, ،ociate director of HLM Architects, said: ‘The award-winning projects in the York،re region all reflect ،w innovative designs can create true social value. By reimagining existing structures, highly sustainable designs or creating attractions to boost the local economy they have been designed to actively benefit the people that use them and their local communities.

There is a fantastic breadth of new architecture across the York،re region

‘From the radical restoration of Clifford’s Tower which unlocks rooms that have been inaccessible for over 300 years, to a sustainable farmers market building which sensitively connects to surrounding habitats, and a building that enriches a town hall’s cultural offering, there is a fantastic breadth of new architecture across the York،re region.’

All the s،rtlisted projects will be ،essed by a regional jury and the winning projects will be announced later this spring.

The schemes are now in the running for a RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence, the results of which will be announced on 11 July.

The s،rtlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building of the year will then be drawn from the national award-winning projects and the Stirling Prize winner will be announced in October.

The RIBA has been contacted for comment about the Building of the Year omission.