The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has launched a new prize the Neave Brown Award for Housing, named in honour of the late Neave Brown who passed away on January 9, 2018.

The award will recognize housing projects built in the UK. Launched in memory of Neave Brown, the award will be considered if the project is a winner of a 2019 RIBA Regional Award, a project of ten or more homes completed and occupied between 1 November 2016 and 1 February 2019 and one third of the housing should be affordable and should demonstrate evidence of meeting the challenge of housing affordability.

Neave Brown. Image © Garath Gardner

Neave Brown is known as a socially-motivated, modernist architect, best known for designing a series of celebrated London housing estates. 

In 2018, he was awarded the UK’s highest honour for architecture, the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture, which is approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen.

Designed in 1968 by Neave Brown of Camden Council's Architects Department, this multi-family, 8-storey council housing estate, properly known as the Alexandra and Ainsworth estate, was built between 1972 and 1979. Image © Martin Charles / RIBA Collections

"It is an honour to announce a new, very special RIBA award dedicated to the late Neave Brown. Neave's contribution to housing will not be forgotten. He was a passionate pioneer who sought radical housing solutions to improve the lives of the local communities he served, and much can be learnt from his work," said RIBA President Ben Derbyshire.

"According to RIBA research, in some parts of the country, just 1 in 5 people would choose to live in a newly built home. Architects, developers and local authorities must design and build homes that people want and this country desperately needs. I have high hopes that this new award will play a role in raising the bar and recognising good-quality, sustainable housing that will meet the needs of current and future generations," Derbyshire added.

Housing, Winscombe Street, Camden, London. Image © Martin Charles / RIBA Collections. This group of five houses, designed by Neave Brown, included his own house, which is shown here.

The shortlist for the inaugural Neave Brown Award for Housing will be composed of six projects and will be announced on Thursday 25 July 2019 and the winner will be announced at the RIBA Stirling Prize ceremony in October 2019.

The 2019 RIBA Awards are open for entries until Thursday 21 February. More information on the entry process can be found here.

Top image: Designed in 1968 by Neave Brown of Camden Council's Architects Department, this multi-family, 8-storey council housing estate, properly known as the Alexandra and Ainsworth estate, was built between 1972 and 1979. Image © Eric Firley / RIBA Collections

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