A huge congratulations to Mary Duggan Architects and RUFF Architects, whose Lion Green Road housing development in Coulsdon, South London, has been awarded the 2026 RIBA Stirling Prize!

Commissioned by Croydon Council, the scheme delivers 157 homes across five residential blocks on a challenging sloping site, transforming a former car park into a landscape-led residential neighbourhood. The project was recognised for its thoughtful response to the site’s topography, combining higher-density housing with generous views, shared outdoor spaces and a strong connection to the surrounding parkland.

At a time when the UK continues to face significant pressure to deliver new homes, Lion Green Road demonstrates how architectural ambition and social value can work together. Rather than treating density as a constraint, the design uses carefully considered building orientations, subtle variations in height and a consistent palette of brickwork to create a development that feels cohesive without becoming repetitive. The scheme also provides a mix of privately owned and socially rented homes, highlighting the important role of public-sector clients in commissioning high-quality housing.

The project offers a compelling example of how architects can respond creatively to the practical challenges of contemporary housing delivery. With affordability, sustainability, planning constraints and viability continuing to shape residential development, Lion Green Road demonstrates that delivering homes at scale need not come at the expense of design quality, a sense of place or residents’ everyday experience.

Lion Green Road is a strong example of what can be achieved when housing delivery and good design go hand in hand. As pressure to build more homes continues, projects like this show why the role of architects remains so important in creating places that work for the people who live in them.