AJ Retrofit Award

The Architects' Journal has announced the finalists vying for this year's 'retrofit Oscars' and our refurbishment project, The David Attenborough Building, at the University of Cambridge has been shortlisted in two categories; best Higher and Further Education project and best Office between 2,000 to 10,000m².

The AJ Retrofit Awards  recognise and celebrate design, engineering and construction excellence that prolongs and improves the life of the built environment. The re-invention of this Brutalist icon as a higher education conservation campus exactly reflects those criteria – innovative design and construction that both preserves the unique qualities of the original whilst radically enhancing the performance and longevity of the building.

The office shortlisting relates to the workspace within the building for the Cambridge Conservation Initiative (CCI) - a unique collaboration between the University of Cambridge and leading internationally-focused biodiversity conservation organisations. Their new offices, created out of old laboratory and server room space, are designed to enhance collaboration and interaction between the partners. The workplace features an interior green wall and rooftop courtyards that both encourage urban biodiversity and provide a sense of wellbeing.

The 2017 winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at The Brewery in London on 13 September.