The 2024 AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards have recognized outstanding achievements in architectural excellence focused on the renewal and repurposing of existing buildings. The awards, which celebrate innovative approaches to sustainable design and material reuse, featured 16 categories and honored projects that demonstrate strategic thinking and forward-looking client partnerships. Three prestigious editorial awards were also presented: Retrofit of the Year, Practice of the Year, and Client of the Year.
This year's competition attracted over 100 shortlisted schemes, with two dominant themes emerging throughout the judging process: forward-thinking clients and strategic design approaches. According to editor Emily Booth, all winning projects showcased how strategic thinking serves as the foundation for successful retrofit work. "From reappropriated disused railway arches and a 1970s house reclad in cork, to a museum fit-out created from 100 percent recycled materials and a Modernist work-to-residential conversion, all the winning projects demonstrate the importance of spending money wisely and keeping sustainability at the forefront," Booth explained.
The awards program underwent significant evolution last year when the 15-year-old AJ Retrofit Awards were rebranded as the AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards, reflecting contemporary discussions surrounding retrofit practices. New award categories were introduced, ranging from adaptive reuse to decarbonization to net zero retrofit, acknowledging the expanding scope of sustainable building practices.
The judging process required all 100-plus shortlisted practices to present their schemes virtually to a distinguished panel of judges through brief five-minute presentations followed by up to 10 minutes of questions and answers. The 30-member jury included notable figures such as curator and consultant Vanessa Norwood, Max Fordham director of sustainability Hero Bennett, and Tyler Goodwin, founder and chief executive of Seaforth. The winners were announced at a ceremony held at The Brewery in the City of London on Wednesday, September 10, following the AJ's Retrofit Live conference.
In the Adaptive Reuse into Mixed Use category, FeixMerlin's sensitive restoration of Walworth Town Hall emerged as a standout winner. The Grade II-listed building in South London, which has served as a local landmark since 1894, suffered severe fire damage in 2013 and was placed on the Heritage at Risk register. Working with developer General Projects and Southwark Council, FeixMerlin successfully transformed the hall into a workspace accommodating 550 people and a community hub, retaining 95 percent of the original structure.
The restoration utilized mass timber inserts where reconstruction was necessary, with the former council chamber featuring a reconstructed vaulted ceiling made of cross-laminated timber (CLT) that reinterprets the original design. CLT was also prominently used in the ground-floor café and lobby, where damaged walls were removed to create an open-plan space with timber ceiling and arched timber columns. The project preserved original oak floors wherever possible while installing new herringbone parquet floors in other areas. Walls were carefully treated, with sanding, re-rendering, and repainting below the dado-line while leaving sections exposed above to reveal the building's rich history.
The community center component consists of three flexible rooms overseen by the Walworth Town Hall Community Space Board, a non-profit organization comprising local residents, youth representatives, council members, and General Projects management. Judges praised the strong community engagement maintained throughout every stage of the project. The £18.4 million project, completed in November 2024, achieved impressive sustainability metrics with annual CO2 emissions of 10.9 kgCO2/m², operational energy of 92.78 kWh/m²/yr, and embodied carbon of 52 kgCO2eq/m².
In the Adaptive Reuse into Office category, Inventa by Owers Warwick Architects won recognition for transforming a former Argos retail warehouse in Oxford into vibrant life science offices and laboratories. This £30 million project demonstrates high-impact typological innovation by targeting commonly overlooked building types – former retail sheds – and showcasing their vast potential for repurposing while significantly reducing embodied carbon through adaptive reuse.
The design's striking simplicity, particularly the flowing atrium spaces, creates a bright, collaborative environment that excels in functionality while enhancing user wellbeing. Judges praised Inventa as a carefully executed and groundbreaking example that pioneers innovative approaches in a typology few projects have explored. The retrofit retained and upgraded 3,640m² of existing structure while expanding the total gross internal floor area to 7,365m² and achieving a 42 percent improvement in predicted operational energy demand over the original building.
The HOME Arches project by Jon Matthews Architects won the Adaptive Reuse into Other (up to £5 million) category for its renovation and conversion of three derelict railway arches in Manchester city center into an extension for the adjacent HOME arts complex. The project, which supports young and emerging artists, was partly financed through the government's Levelling Up Fund and created 266m² of additional facility including co-working areas, rehearsal spaces, and a custom-built public exhibition space visible from the street.
Judges described it as "an amazing enfilade of arts spaces" and praised the bespoke detailing used throughout to acoustically separate spaces beneath each Grade II-listed arch, which supports one of Manchester's busiest railway lines. The technical challenges were substantial, particularly since Network Rail required each arch to be fully accessible for maintenance every six years. Internal linings were designed to be both modular and demountable while being fully waterproofed, with façade tolerances to handle vibrations from passing trains.
In the Conservation and Historic categories, The Buttermarket: Heritage Led Regeneration by Architectural Thread won the under £10 million category. This Grade II-listed complex in Redruth, Cornwall, built around 1825 on the historic site of Redruth Town Market, underwent a £4 million restoration that re-established it as a thriving economic, cultural, and community hub. The project prioritized reducing, reusing, and recycling building materials, with columns sourced through reclamation yards, existing joinery employed where possible, and a new courtyard façade clad in slate-sized shingles made from recycled glass.
The Edinburgh Futures Institute by Bennetts Associates claimed the Conservation and Historic (£10 million and over) category for its ambitious remodeling of Edinburgh's former Royal Infirmary. The £120 million project addressed a Category A-listed Victorian hospital in precarious condition following years of derelection. The restoration removed unsympathetic extensions, repaired extensive dry rot, restored key elements, and integrated new pedagogical functions within the original structure of wards and corridors.
In the Decarbonization and Net Zero category, Studio PDP's Claridge House project demonstrated how heritage buildings can be protected and future-proofed while occupied. The minimalist strategy for upgrading two floors of this poorly performing mid-rise building in the Mayfair conservation area retained 100 percent of the structure while achieving net zero performance according to the UKGBC's framework definition. The project exceeded client energy efficiency requirements while providing future-proofing for additional upgrades.
The Future Reuse category was won by FaulknerBrowns' Kings Hall Leisure Centre project in Hackney. This historic landmark redevelopment, currently in planning approval stage, balances preserving Victorian character with modern, sustainable innovations. The design encompasses full refurbishment, retrofit, extension, and public realm improvements while protecting the Grade II-listed landmark and creating a vibrant, accessible, inclusive space for evolving community needs.
Several residential renovation categories showcased innovative approaches to sustainable home improvement. Meadow Road by Studio Bark won the Positive Addition (up to £2 million) category for its deep retrofit and extension of a Victorian home in Tunbridge Wells. The project achieved a 75 percent reduction in energy bills despite a 27 percent increase in footprint, demonstrating how retrofit can dramatically improve performance while expanding living space.
Nina's House by NinaCo with ROAR Architects claimed the Private/Individual Renovation (up to £600,000) category for its bold reimagining of a 1970s home in south Tottenham. The project entirely clad the existing 100m² house in 100mm-thick cork panels, proving that retrofit with innovative materials is possible on a modest budget of £340,000 while achieving impressive performance metrics.
The awards program continues to evolve and expand, reflecting the growing importance of sustainable building practices and the creative potential of existing structures. With climate concerns driving innovation in the construction industry, these award-winning projects demonstrate that thoughtful retrofit and reuse strategies can deliver exceptional architectural results while significantly reducing environmental impact. The 2025 AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards promise to continue celebrating these vital contributions to sustainable architecture and community development.
