RIBA Norfolk, The Norwich Society and Norwich University of the Arts have once again joined forces for the 2025 Design and Craftsmanship Awards; also this year we are delighted to welcome the Norfolk Gardens Trust. These biennial awards are a celebration of outstanding buildings and places throughout Norfolk that positively affect our built environment and make Norfolk a fantastic place to live and work. They are also a means for builders, architects, and communities to be recognised in a wider setting. The awards ceremony will take place at the Sainsbury Centre this year on November 13th. and ticket details will be issued later in the summer.
The Award Categories this year are:
- Houses and Housing – single dwellings, housing developments, extensions and conversions
- Non-Residential – civic, cultural, education and commercial buildings
- Conservation – including the Sir Bernard Feilden award for the best Conservation scheme in Norwich
- Sustainability – for the project selected from all categories which demonstrates the highest standard of environmental design
- Community – this Award celebrates successful community projects which have engaged local people throughout the decision-making, design and building processes. There is no fee to nominate a community project; submissions can be made by the general public and community group members
- Student – the best design work by a student studying architecture at NUA
- Designed Landscape – a new category promoted by the Norfolk Gardens Trust, which includes landscape settings as part of new buildings, the restoration of existing landscapes as part of a conservation project, or enhancement of public green spaces
The awards go to projects that deliver a high standard of design and craftsmanship in their construction and finishes, meet the needs of their users, and contribute to the public enjoyment of places. They should also have taken account of the wider environmental implications, by minimising impact on climate change from their construction and use. Winners of DCA23 included the Digi-tech factory at City College and Duke Street Riverside for Norwich University of the Arts. The new HQ for East Anglian Air Ambulance won the Community Award, and the restoration of Mutton’s Mill at Halvergate won both the Conservation and Sustainability awards.
East Anglia Air Ambulance New Headquarters – Winner of the Community Award 2023.
Muttons Mill – Winner of the Conservation and Sustainability Awards 2023
DCA25 will be donating to two charities this year – Shelter Norfolk provides face-to-face support for our local community on housing and homelessness issues. Norwich Open Christmas hosts an annual Christmas event for up to 700 people who are alone, homeless, or in need a Christmas celebration, including a free Christmas dinner, entertainment, food parcels, clothing, and a warm welcome whatever their circumstances.
Nominations are now open and entries can be submitted on-line at the DCA website until Friday 18th July 2025. To be eligible, projects must have been completed between June 2023 and end of May 2025. Full details can be found at : https://designandcraftsmanshipawards.org.uk/
Duke Street, Norwich University of the Arts – Winner of Non-residential Award 2023
