London Housing Project Wins 2026 Stirling Prize

 London Housing Development Wins 2026 Stirling Prize for Innovative Design

A residential development in south London has won the 2026 Stirling Prize, the United Kingdom’s leading architecture award. Lion Green Road in Coulsdon was recognised for combining affordable and private housing with thoughtful design, landscaped communal spaces and a sensitive response to its natural surroundings.

A New Approach to Housing Design in London

A housing development in south London has received one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious architecture awards, highlighting how residential projects can combine attractive design, community spaces and higher-density living.

Lion Green Road, located in Coulsdon, was named the winner of the 2026 Stirling Prize by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The development comprises 157 homes arranged across five distinctive buildings, each designed with an unusual 13-sided layout.

The project was designed by Mary Duggan Architects and built with RUFF Architects for Croydon Council. It brings together affordable and privately owned or rented housing in a scheme intended to respond to the needs of the local community.

The award recognises the development’s architectural quality and its ability to make efficient use of a difficult site without losing its connection to the surrounding landscape.

At a time when many cities face pressure to provide more homes, Lion Green Road demonstrates how thoughtful planning can help accommodate residents while creating a pleasant environment in which people can live, interact and enjoy outdoor spaces.

RIBA president Chris Williamson praised the development as a new approach to higher-density housing. He highlighted the way it creates a connection between the busy Lion Green Road area and the green parkland beyond.

The project’s success also brings renewed attention to the relationship between housing design, affordability and the quality of life available to residents.

How the Development Transformed a Challenging Site

Lion Green Road was built on the site of a former car park in Coulsdon. The location presented significant design challenges because the land slopes considerably, with an elevation difference of approximately eight metres across the site.

Rather than treating the uneven ground as an obstacle, the architects incorporated the landscape into the development’s design.

The five residential blocks are positioned to work with the hillside and surrounding environment. Their low-rise form helps the development fit into the area instead of appearing as one large, imposing housing complex.

The buildings feature distinctive purple and pink brickwork, giving them a recognisable appearance while helping them blend with the natural setting. Small variations in the brick patterns also create visual differences between the buildings, allowing each block to maintain its own identity.

According to the judging panel, the project demonstrated an inventive response to a restricted site. Its layout shows how architects can adapt buildings to local conditions rather than relying on a standard design that could be placed almost anywhere.

The development also challenges conventional suburban housing arrangements, which often organise homes around roads, private gardens and clearly separated front and back spaces.

At Lion Green Road, winding paths and carefully planned planting connect the buildings and shared outdoor areas. These routes create a more integrated environment in which residents can move through landscaped spaces rather than relying entirely on conventional streets and corridors.

Mary Duggan’s Vision for Community Living

Architect Mary Duggan described the award as extraordinary, unexpected and humbling. She explained that the project began in 2016 with a clear ambition: to create housing that felt welcoming and individual rather than institutional.

Her team wanted to rethink what affordable housing could offer communities, moving beyond the idea that lower-cost homes should simply provide the minimum required accommodation.

Duggan described Lion Green Road as a project concerned with the culture of dwelling, bringing together architectural ambition, social value and the practical realities of everyday life.

This approach is reflected in the development’s shared spaces and landscape design. Instead of focusing exclusively on the number of homes that could fit on the site, the architects considered how residents might experience the wider environment.

The development includes communal gardens and allotments, giving residents opportunities to spend time outdoors and participate in shared activities.

The paths and planted areas also help connect different parts of the site, encouraging movement and interaction between neighbours.

Duggan said she wanted the outdoor areas to feel like public spaces where people could develop a sense of belonging.

The approach reflects a broader discussion in architecture about the importance of designing homes around people’s experiences, rather than treating housing primarily as a collection of buildings.

Well-planned communal spaces can provide opportunities for residents to meet, relax and take part in neighbourhood life. Although the long-term social impact of any development depends on how people use and maintain it, the design at Lion Green Road makes shared outdoor space an important part of the residential experience.

Why Affordable Housing Was Central to the Award

The project’s recognition is significant because it combines architectural design with a public housing objective.

Croydon Council funded the development as a public asset, with affordable and private homes included within the same scheme.

Affordable housing remains an important issue in London, where high housing costs and limited availability can place pressure on households. The availability of secure, suitable accommodation can influence people’s employment opportunities, family life, education and overall wellbeing.

RIBA president Chris Williamson connected the project to his own experience growing up on a council estate in the East Midlands.

He explained that when he returned to the area, many council homes had been sold into private ownership and had not been replaced in equivalent numbers.

Williamson acknowledged that home ownership can bring benefits, but he also raised concerns about the reduction in housing available to people who depend on affordable public accommodation.

He said the lack of suitable homes can leave some people living in temporary accommodation that may not provide the safety and security they need.

For Williamson, Lion Green Road represented an example of how public housing can offer a more positive experience.

He praised the development’s mixed housing arrangement and the atmosphere created by its buildings and shared spaces.

His comments underline a central question in housing policy: how can governments and local authorities provide enough homes while ensuring that affordability does not come at the expense of design quality?

Lion Green Road offers one architectural response to that question. It demonstrates that affordable housing can be incorporated into a development with distinctive materials, carefully planned landscaping and an identifiable architectural character.

However, one successful project cannot resolve London’s wider housing shortage on its own. The availability of similar developments elsewhere will depend on land, construction costs, public funding, planning decisions and the long-term management of housing.

Architecture That Responds to Nature

Another important feature of Lion Green Road is its relationship with the surrounding landscape.

The site sits near green-belt land, with low-rise housing on higher ground to the south and traditional suburban streets to the north.

The architects used the site’s position to guide the development’s height, layout and appearance. The result is a residential scheme that seeks to connect the built environment with the greenery around it.

Trees, planting and winding pedestrian paths help soften the appearance of the buildings. The purple and pink brickwork adds colour without overwhelming the landscape.

The judges praised the way the housing blocks blend into the parkland beyond. They also highlighted the small design variations that give the individual buildings their own character.

This approach is relevant to cities attempting to increase housing supply while preserving the qualities that make neighbourhoods attractive.

Higher-density housing does not necessarily have to mean tall towers or large blocks that dominate their surroundings. Depending on the site, carefully arranged low-rise buildings can accommodate substantial numbers of residents while maintaining access to outdoor areas.

The success of such designs depends on a range of factors, including appropriate spacing, natural light, accessibility, landscaping and the relationship between private homes and shared spaces.

At Lion Green Road, the sloping site became part of the architectural solution, helping shape a development that responds to its particular location.

Overcoming Construction and Regulatory Challenges

The project also faced practical difficulties during its development.

According to the information provided by RIBA, changes to building regulations and several other circumstances created additional challenges beyond the normal demands of construction.

Delivering a residential scheme on sloping land requires careful coordination between architecture, engineering, drainage, access and the arrangement of buildings.

The project’s five-block layout also required the design team to balance the need for housing capacity with the quality of the spaces between buildings.

These challenges make the final design significant from a technical as well as an aesthetic perspective.

The judging process for the Stirling Prize considers several aspects of a building or development, including design vision, innovation, sustainability, functionality and the experience of people who use or visit the site.

Lion Green Road was recognised for the way its design addressed the limitations of the location while creating a distinctive residential environment.

The award does not mean that every housing project should copy the same layout or materials. Instead, the development illustrates the value of adapting architectural decisions to the physical and social characteristics of a particular place.

Other Projects Competing for the Stirling Prize

Lion Green Road competed against five other finalists for the 2026 Stirling Prize.

The shortlisted projects included a house at Fairmead in High Beach, Epping Forest, designed by Sergison Bates; BEAM in Hertfordshire, by Bennetts Associates; and Paddington Square, designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with Adamson Associates.

The other finalists were Pembroke, Mill Lane, by Haworth Tompkins, and River Wing at Clare College, designed by Witherford Watson Mann Architects.

The projects represented different approaches to architecture, from residential design to larger developments and institutional buildings.

The Stirling Prize evaluates architecture across a broad range of considerations, rather than focusing on appearance alone. Functionality, innovation, sustainability and the experience of users all contribute to the assessment.

Lion Green Road’s selection reflects the judging panel’s recognition of a project that connects these considerations with the practical challenge of providing homes.

What the Award Could Mean for Future Housing Projects

The 2026 Stirling Prize places Lion Green Road at the centre of a wider conversation about the future of residential development in the United Kingdom.

As demand for housing continues to put pressure on cities, architects, councils and developers face the challenge of creating homes that are affordable, functional and appropriate for their surroundings.

The project offers several lessons for future schemes. First, difficult sites can sometimes be transformed into opportunities for more distinctive architecture. Second, shared outdoor spaces can be treated as an essential part of residential planning rather than an afterthought. Third, affordable housing can be designed with the same attention to materials, identity and everyday experience as other residential developments.

Its combination of 157 homes, five low-rise blocks, communal gardens and carefully considered landscaping provides an example of how these objectives can be brought together in one scheme.

The project’s longer-term success will also depend on the quality of maintenance, the management of shared spaces and the experiences of the people who live there. Architectural awards recognise design achievements, but the continuing performance of a housing development becomes clear through everyday use.

Nevertheless, Lion Green Road’s recognition highlights the role architecture can play in addressing housing challenges without abandoning environmental sensitivity or community considerations.

Conclusion

Lion Green Road in Coulsdon has won the 2026 Stirling Prize after judges praised its thoughtful design, its integration with the surrounding landscape and its approach to higher-density housing.

Designed by Mary Duggan Architects and built with RUFF Architects for Croydon Council, the development combines 157 homes across five distinctive buildings on a challenging sloping site.

Its purple and pink brickwork, winding paths, landscaped communal areas and mixed housing arrangement distinguish it from more conventional suburban developments.

Beyond its architectural appearance, the project raises important questions about how public authorities can provide affordable homes that are secure, welcoming and well designed.

The award recognises Lion Green Road as a notable example of architecture responding to both a specific place and a wider social need. It also reinforces the idea that successful housing should be measured not only by the number of homes delivered, but by how those homes fit into their environment and support the lives of the people who live in them.

For Lamiel Side News, the development is a reminder that housing design, affordability and community wellbeing are closely connected—and that thoughtful planning can help bring these priorities together.