The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the shortlist for the Reinvention Award 2025.
The annual award, sponsored by Oscar Acoustics, recognises achievement in the creative reuse of buildings to improve their environmental, social, or economic sustainability.
It aims to shine a light on “retrofitting”, increasing the longevity and energy efficiency of existing buildings, and reducing the need for demolition and new construction.
This year’s shortlist acknowledges four projects that, all while navigating difficult sites, incorporate sensitive restorations and innovative material use to transform the communities around them.
Image: Sheerness Dockyard Church - Dirk Lindner
The four shortlisted projects are:
- Knepp Wilding Kitchen and shop by Kaner Olette Architects: Based within the UK’s first rewilding project in West Sussex, a collection of decaying farmyard buildings have been rejuvenated into sustainable, multi-function series of spaces including a café/restaurant and farm shop.
- Rhodes House Transformation by Stanton Williams: A modern refurbishment and extension of a 100-year-old Grade II* listed Arts and Craft building. The project doubles its usable space while significantly improving its layout and environmental performance. This has been achieved through sensitive, below ground interventions to the main building.
- Sheerness Dockyard Church by Hugh Broughton Architects: A Grade II* listed 19th century former church previously on Historic England’s ‘Heritage At Risk’ register due to fire damage. Local skills and labour were key in the exquisite restoration into a community facility, hosting a co-working space, café, public exhibition areas, and an events space.
- The Entopia Building by Architype: A former 1930s telephone exchange within a conservation area in Cambridge has been sensitively adapted into a vibrant, highly sustainable office building meeting Passivhaus standards.
Jury Chair and Managing Director, Marks Barfield Architects, Julia Barfield, said: “Faced with excellent, diverse entries across sectors, scale, and complexity, the jury had a challenging task. We were looking for exceptional reinvention; regenerative, transformational in form and function, while contributing to society and biodiversity. Four projects rose to the top, including the adaptation of a former 1930s telephone exchange into a sustainable office building in Cambridge, a social and fabric transformation of a derelict church in Kent, a barn transformation in Sussex, and the refurbishment of a Grade II* listed Arts and Craft building in Oxford.
“It is testament to the welcome speed of change in the industry that 51% of RIBA UK award winners are for refurbishment or conservation and that the reinvention awards are to such high quality.”
The Reinvention Award shortlist is selected from winners of the RIBA Regional Awards 2025. The winner will be announced at the Stirling Prize ceremony on 16 October 2025.
The Reinvention Award 2025 jury comprised: Julia Barfield, Managing Director, Marks Barfield Architects, Chair, Stephanie Crombie, Supernatural Studio, Sustainability Advisor, Leanne Tritton Hon. FRIBA, Don’t Waste Buildings, Lay assessor, Edward Farleigh-Dastmalchi, fardaa, Reinvention Winner, 2024
