The Royal Institute of British Architects has announced the winners of the 2023 President’s Medals, highlighting the best student architecture projects worldwide. In its 187th edition, RIBA’s President's Medals have stood as the hallmark of architectural excellence, remaining the oldest within the institution realm. Overall, the winning projects demonstrate a strong focus on "how architecture can address the needs of people and their communities."
For the 2023 Cycle, the highly acclaimed RIBA Silver Medal for the best design project produced at RIBA Part 2 was awarded to Ellie Harging at the London School of Architecture. Titled “Nobody Wants to Live in a Care Home,” the project designs supportive housing for people living with young-onset Alzheimer's. The RIBA Bronze Medal was awarded to Kacper Sehenke, while the Dissertation Medal was awarded to Chloe Shang.
Read on for the complete list of winners, along with a description from the recipient for each project.
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Ellie Harding / London School of Architecture | UK
Nobody Wants to Live in a Care Home
Alzheimer’s disease is not limited to the elderly. Supportive housing options fail to reflect this, meaning people diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s can be faced with a difficult choice - to remain in unsuitable housing or to move into residential care - often compounded by the needs of their young families. This project enables families to continue living together, in the centre of their communities, and with access to the same public buildings.
RIBA Bronze Medal and P1 Award for sustainable design:
Kacper Sehnke / University of Westminster | UK
The Council for Ecosystem Restoration
The Council for Ecological Restoration aims to regenerate ecosystems globally and nationally, incorporating ecosystemic processes within the building envelope and timber materiality. It benefits other-than-human species, ecosystems, and humans. Inspired by the half-earth conservation movement, the building hosts the United Nations Decade for Ecosystems Restoration project, serving as a platform for political discussions, research, and lobbying to protect and restore global ecosystems.
RIBA Dissertation Medal
Chloe Shang / Royal College of Art | UK
Poems from the Patient Patient
The following dissertation may be understood as a journal and guide towards catharsis. Drawing upon diverse methodologies grounded in testimony and lived experience, architectural and spatial analysis, socio-political critique and relational thinking, I explore firstly the agency of writing as a medium and method of healing and, secondly, the inequalities, contradictions and opportunities facing the contemporary health system. My hope is that this dissertation may initiate much-needed discourse surrounding medical architecture and, ultimately, tangible change in the design and construction of our healthcare spaces.
This year, perhaps more than in any previous years, we have seen entries that speak to what it means to be human on a planet in crisis. In this challenging context, students have dared to dream by elevating technical scale and ambition, by supporting physical and mental well-being, and by tackling the climate emergency head-on. --Muyiwa Oki, RIBA President
This December, the 2023 RIBA House of the Year Award has been awarded to “Green House.” Designed by Hayhurst & Co, this polycarbonate-lined residential family home was inspired by nature. Additionally, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced the 30 winners of the 2023 RIBA National Awards for Architecture, providing insight into the country’s architecture, design, and social trends. Among the critical themes observed this year was the need to rebuild communities and find sustainable practices. Finally, The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced that Professor Yasmeen Lari, Pakistan’s first female architect, will receive the 2023 Royal Gold Medal for architecture.
