In honor of Neave Brown, RIBA launches award for best new housing

Named in honor of the late Neave Brown, RIBA has launched a prize celebrating the best new housing projects across the UK. All 2019 RIBA Regional Award-winning housing projects that meet published criteria will be considered for the inaugural award. 

Brown, who passed away last year, was a celebrated architect known for his pioneering social housing schemes; his Alexandra Road Estates is widely considered to be some of the finest housing built in the UK in the last 50 years, helping him to earn the country's top honor for architecture, the Royal Gold Medal for Architecture.

In celebration of his legacy, eligible projects for consideration must contain 10 or more homes, at least one-third of which must be affordable. Further, projects should demonstrate evidence of meeting the challenge of housing affordability more broadly. 

RIBA President Ben Derbyshire says he has "high hopes that this new award will play a role in raising the bar and recognizing good-quality, sustainable housing that will meet the needs of current and future generations."

On Brown, Mr. Derbyshire added that "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."