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Child-friendly places, Building among new categories for The Pineapples 2025, the leading awards for projects that make a positive place-based impact. The awards are open for entries with an early bird deadline of 10 October and final deadline of 28 November
New categories have been announced in The Pineapples awards for place which is now open for submissions to the 2025 awards, with child-friendly place, strategy, building and community space joining the call for entries this year.
The Pineapples celebrate excellence in the design and development of places where people want to live, work and play. The categories aim to cover all phases of development from community engagement to completion. The early bird deadline for entries is 10 October with a final entry deadline of 28 November.
The golden pineapple awards programme was launched in 2018 and is designed to amplify developments and initiatives that make a positive impact on places. The programme is unique with an annual programme that includes judging visits for built projects, a live judging three-day event, an awards party, a stage at the Festival of Place and publication in The Developer magazine.
Christine Murray, Editor-in-Chief of The Developer and chair of The Pineapples judging described the new categories as “sweet and tangy.”
“We’re pleased to introduce a permanent category for Building after the success of last year’s joint winners for Appleby Blue and Sidcup Storyteller. As with all our awards, Buildings will be judged on their contribution to the wider place and people through their design and programme.”
“The awards recognise excellence in every stage of development, design and delivery of placemaking.” - Howells
August 2024 - Entries open
10 October- Early bird deadline
28 November – Final entry deadline
January 2025 - Shortlist announced
25-27 February – Live shortlist judging presentation event
March/April - Pineapples prize giving party
May – The Developer magazine featuring Pineapples 2025
July - Pineapples stage at Festival of Place (curated selection of finalist)
Winners are selected after a three-part judging process and take home a golden pineapple trophy. Shortlisting takes place remotely with submissions scored by judges, after which built works are each visited by at least one judge. In the final stage, all shortlisted projects for The Pineapples are presented to the judges in sessions that are live-streamed on Airmeet.
“The Pineapples celebrate exceptional places that truly thrive, embracing the essence of what it means to be welcoming and vibrant.” – Fabrix
The judges have the discretion to award more than one Pineapple in each category, should two project of equal merit emerge. The Pineapples’ 15 categories are Place of Year, Activation, Public Space, Community Engagement, Place in Progress, Creative Retrofit, Future Place, International Future Place, Infrastructure, Building, Future Public Realm and Climate Resilience. Including three brand new categories; Child Friendly Place, Strategy and Community Space. Here is the link to download the criteria and categories document.
“Such an important awards as it shines a light on co-creation and marks progress in how communities are shaping the places where they live, work and play.” - LDA Design
This year’s judging panel will be announced in the coming weeks. Previous judges include Eleanor Fawcett, Head of Design at Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, Dr Bridget Snaith, Lecturer in Landscape Architecture Design Practice at University of Sheffield, Ben Adams, Founding Director at Ben Adams Architects, Chloe Mcfarlane, Engagement Lead at Tranquil City, Richard Coppell, Group Development Director at Urban&Civic, Alison Benzimra, Head of Research and Influence at United St.Saviour, Martin Prince-Parrott, Development and Architecture Director at SUB\URBAN WORKSHOP, Duncan Laird, Head of Urban at National Trust and Blossom Young, Head of Operations at Poplar HARCA.
“Our judges have great conversations, shaping and redefining excellence in the powerful growing community of professionals motivated to make a positive impact while delivering quality places – with and for people and planet,” Murray says. “The Pineapples are an unmatched opportunity to benchmark your social impact and showcase work that delivers on quality and kindness to your peers and beyond.”
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The £135 million second phase of the redevelopment of the Gascoigne neighbourhood consists of 434 apartments and four townhouses. Sixty-two per cent of housing is designated as affordable or shared with the remaining 38 per cent for private sale. The 46,500 sq m phase includes a 5,000 sq m park co-designed with students from local Greatfields School and sitting in the heart of the neighbourhood.
Judges’ comments:
“The site fulfils the design objectives for a city at eye level and creates public luxury. Being tenure- blind and mixed-use also achieves a permeable and varied community asset”
Also shortlisted:
Magna Square, Egham, for Runnymede Borough Council and Places for People, with Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, Elliott Wood, Atelier 10 and Graham Construction
Media City and Quayside, Salford, for Peel Media and Landsec, with Chapman Taylor
Your New Town Hall, London Borough of Lambeth for Muse and Lambeth Council, with Cartwright Pickard
Springfield Village, London Borough of Wandsworth, for South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust and STEP (Joint venture between Sir Robert McAlpine, Capital Ventures and Kajima Partnerships)
Kampus, Manchester, for Capital & Centric and HBD, with Native Residential, Mecanoo, shedkm and Chapman Taylor
Stanley Square, Sale, for Altered Space, with SimpsonHaugh Architects
Unity Place, London Borough of Brent, for London Borough of Brent, with Gort Scott, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and Alison Brooks Architects
Camden Council’s £35 million investment into the area around London’s Tottenham Court Road aims to dramatically enhance urban public space. The project reclaims road space for 0.7 hectares of new parks, squares and incidental pocket plazas and the reimagining of 0.3 hectares of existing space. Removing the one-way systems and reducing traffic on Tottenham Court Road and neighbouring streets and introducing a planting plan for over 1,000 sq m of new beds and borders supports an expansion of soft landscaping in the capital.
Judges' comments:
"The masterplan achieves simplicity within a complex urban environment, successfully opening the locale for safer and pedestrianized streets and small parks".
Also shortlisted:
Bishops Square, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, for Spitalfields Development Group, with Foster + Partners and SEAM
Eddington Hotel, Cambridge, for edyn, with dRMM, Robert Myers Associates and AvroKo
Regents Place, London Borough of Camden, for British Land, with Townshend Landscape Architects and Nex Architects
Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen for Aberdeen City Council, with LDA Design, Stallan Brand, Arup and Balfour Beatty
Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen, for Aberdeen City Council, with LDA Design, Stallan Brand, Arup and Balfour Beatty
Green Spine, City of Westminster, for Westminster City Council, with BDP, WSP and FM Conway
Glade of Light, Manchester, for Manchester City Council, with Galliford Try, BCA Landscape, Planit, Civic Engineers
Pound's Park, Sheffield, for Sheffield City Council, with Get Building Fund, Planit, Henry Boot Construction, Whittam Cox Architects, Dudley Engineers, Riveline, Julian Stocks and Timberplay
On the bank of the River Lea, 3 Mills Studios is the city’s oldest surviving industrial centre. The retrofit project has created over 900 sq m of new workspaces for production teams through the adaptive and creative reuse of three key buildings: the locally listed Gin Still, the Grade II-listed Custom House and the Rush House. Flood-resilience measures have been employed to ensure the long-term preservation of the heritage site. Photo: Lorenzo Zandri
The Georgian external facades of the Grade II-listed former Royal London Hospital are the key architecture feature of Whitechapel High Street, and now house Tower Hamlets Town Hall within its 2.6ha site. The £125 million development includes an extension with six floors of office space for 2,470 council staff plus partner organisations, a new council chamber and meeting facilities. Photo: Timothy Soar
Also shortlisted:
All Saints, London Borough of Southwark, for EPR Studio, with EPR Architects and Kate Malone
East Ham Old Fire Station, London Borough of Newham, for Populo Living, with dRMM
Arding and Hobbs, London Borough of Wandsworth, for W.RE, with Stiff+Trevillion, Knight Hardwood, AKT II and Blackburn Co.
Nottingham Energiesprong, Nottingham, for Nottingham City Homes, with Melius Homes, Studio Partington and Energiesprong UK
Bath School of Art and Design, Bath, for Bath Spa University, with Grimshaw, ARUP, Currie & Brown, Montresor Partnership, Mann WIlliams, Capita, Gleeds, and Wilmott Dixon
Balfron Tower, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, for Poplar HARCA and Telford Homes, with Studio Egret West and Ab Rogers Design
Site experience walks with women, girls and gender-diverse people developed a shared perception for LLDC’s work in hotspot sites. A Women and Girls Safety Charter was signed by local key stakeholders and landowners to ensure an approach that aligns with the findings. The engagement project intends to influence infrastructure lists and planning powers, such as the allocation of Section 106 funds and the neighbourhood portion of Community Infrastructure Levy money.
Judges’ comments:
“An original and very rigorous piece of work”.
Also shortlisted:
Edgware Town Centre, London Borough of Barnet, for Ballymore and Places for London, with Field Consulting, Howells, Gustafson Porter + Bowman and Savills
Church End Growth Area, London Borough of Brent, for Brent Council, with Hawkins\Brown and Jan Kattein Architects
Waltham Forest Affordable Housing Commission & Housing Strategy, London Borough of Waltham Forest, for London Borough of Waltham Forest, with Waltham Forest Affordable Housing Commission and PRD
Earls Court, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, for The Earls Court Development Company, with ZCD Architects
The Phoenix, Lewes, for Human Nature, with Periscope and Arup
Glade of Light, Manchester, for Manchester City Council with Galliford Try, BCA Landscape, Planit and Civic Engineers
Hartree, Cambridge, for LandsecU+I and TOWN, with Cambridge City Council and Kjellander Sjöberg
The Verdean is a £520 million development set to create 1,228 new homes, 455 of which will be affordable. Two residential towers will contain 160 and 170 homes, respectively. Six per cent of commercial spaces will be allocated to local businesses. The scheme will incorporate additional public realm community connectivity improvements and biodiverse green spaces.
Judges’ comments:
“The vision and quality shine through – from the tenure-blind design to the thoughtful and ambitious alignment of people and environment. This is reflected in the community kitchen, which also provides an important resource to the community in the cost-of-living crisis”.
Redevelopment of the Western Campus of the University of Glasgow includes the refurbishment of four buildings. One of these, the Adam Smith business school, required £50 million of the £430 million total budget. The project has 85,000 sq m of student accommodation, learning, teaching, and research space.
Judges’ comments:
“We were impressed by the project’s repurposing and reuse of existing buildings and features, use of recycled materials and focus on native biodiversity, as well as promotion of active transport.”
Also shortlisted:
The Britannia project, London Borough of Hackney, for London Borough of Hackney, with Tibbals, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and FaulknerBrown Architects
Stockport Town Centre West, Stockport, for Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation, Stockport Council, Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Rochester Riverside, Medway, for Medway Council, Countryside Partnerships (Vistry Group) and The Hyde Group, with BPTW and LUC
Harringay Warehouse District, London Borough of Haringey, for Provewell, with Ruth Campbell & Co, Tibbalds, Morris+Company, Container City and Dakota
Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team was set up to oversee the refurbishment of the Lancaster West Estate. The 7.7-hectare estate contains 826 homes, which will be redeveloped with the addition of nursery and outdoor spaces. The £57.9 million project contains an initiative that employs more than 25 North Kensington residents in full or part-time positions within the development team.
Judges’ comments:
“This example of a community finding their own way to recover from the immense challenges they have experienced over the last seven years through ‘people power’ is remarkable”.
Also shortlisted:
Golden Valley, Cheltenham, for Cheltenham Borough Council and Henry Boot Developments, with Grimshaw, Grant Associates, HGH Consulting, Buro Happold, Vectos and EDP
Edgware Town Centre, London Borough of Barnet, for Ballymore and Places for London, with Howells and Gustafson Porter + Bowman
Red Bank Masterplan, Manchester, for Far East Consortium, with Maccreanor Lavington, Schulze + Grassov, Op-en, Useful Projects and WSP
Kensal Canalside, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, for Ballymore and Sainsbury’s, with FaulknerBrowns and Spacehub
Oxford North, Oxford, for Oxford North Ventures, with Fletcher Priest Architects, Gustafson Porter + Bowman, Stantec, Wilkinson Eyre and Gort Scott
Earls Court, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, for The Earls Court Development Company, with Hawkins\Brown and Studio Egret West
The 3.84-hectare development site sits between Edgware Road – the neighbourhood’s primary retail and commercial area – and quieter terraced streets to the north of Marylebone Station. It provides up to 1,200 new homes and 7,000 sq m of retail space. The project aims for a 40 per cent increase in publicly accessible open space and will support around 525 retail jobs and 3,500 construction- related jobs.
Judges’ comments:
“We were impressed by the commitment to the tenants who are there at the moment and the promise that they can return on their current terms. This is a good model that could be replicated. The future of the place and the market is being cemented”
Also shortlisted:
The Clay Community, Hambrook, with Tuckey Design Studio, Lehm Ton Erde and Stonewood Builders
South Molton Triangle, City of Westminster, for Grosvenor and Mitsui Fudosan UK, with Hopkins, BDP, Donald Insall Associates, Twin & Earth and WSP
The Littlewoods Project, Liverpool, for Capital & Centric, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Liverpool City Council, with shedkm
Prestwich Village, Manchester, for Muse and Bury Council, with Jon Matthews Architects and Planit
Helping Hands, Liverpool, for the Independence Initiative and Neighbourhood, with Studio MUTT
A series of events and activities were run from May 2021 till May 2023 to test new approaches to revitalising Bexleyheath town centre. The team behind Bohemia Place Market have been successfully running markets alongside community consultation, leading to wayfinding and accessibility improvements. The team conducted 14 youth workshops with 59 students aged between
11 and 18 along with eight older residents, while 180 young people took part in an online survey
Judges’ comments:
“The project brought the different groups using the space together and worked to overcome the barriers and preconceptions associated with young people and the elderly using our streets”
Also shortlisted:
Bringing the wonder back to Earls Court, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, for The Earls Court Development Company, with Hawkins\Brown and Studio Egret West
Five Years On: Wembley Park’s Cultural Placemaking Strategy, London Borough of Brent, for Quintain, with Futurecity
The Place Between, Milton Keynes, for centre:mk and IF, with Jason Singh and Rebecca Louise Law
We Invented the Weekend Festival, Salford, for Peel Media, Landsec and Salford City Council, with The Lowry, BBC, HemingwayDesign and Quays Culture
Assemble in the Forest, Bath, for Forest of Imagination, National Trust, with Bath Spa University, Bathscape, RSA, Rainforest Concern, Grant Associates, HOI, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and Invisible Studio
PoliNations, Birmingham, for UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, with Trigger, THISS studio and Carl Robertshaw
Located at 78 Broadmead Road, Sparks Bristol offers visitors retail and education opportunities from fashion and food to nature and energy. Since 13 May 2023 the project has had more than 376,000 visitors to the ground floor, where visitors can experience a range of shops, installations, events and more in each curated department. The upstairs is a hub for local artists, offering affordable studios, rehearsal and performance space. Photos: Paola Di Bella
Judges’ comments:
“The project realises effectively its ‘commune not consume’ message, and proposes a strong model for high-street regeneration that is responsive to the character and values of
its location.”
Also shortlisted:
The Bell, Ticehurst, for AreYou?, with We Like Today, Chris Baxter, Ben Stagg Architects and Gleeds
New Greenhill Building, London Borough of Harrow, for Harrow Arts Centre, with Chris Dyson Architects, Webb Yates, KLA, Studio Emmi and PT Projects
Houlton, Rugby, for Urban&Civic and Aviva Investors, with the Houlton Project Team
LJ Works, London Borough of Lambeth, for London Borough of Lambeth, with Architecture 00, Jan Kattein Architects, Public Works and Meanwhile Space CIC
Tooting Works, London Borough of Wandsworth, for Business Launchpad, with alma-nac, Townlab and Dollman Ralston
Across 44 different postcodes and sites, GreenUP has enhanced access to local greenspace for 500,000 residents, planted 100,000 trees and shrubs, and created accessible walking routes and a general increased footfall for local business. £4 million of Horizon 2020 European funding has supported the creation of 40 innovative nature-based solutions implemented in city-wide renaturing projects.
Judges’ comments:
“An amazing project with huge public engagement and brilliant accessibility. It was investigative, strategic and innovative. A really comprehensive, authentic way to try things out in the city”
Also shortlisted:
Jaywick Sands Place Plan, Jaywick, for Tendring District Council, with HAT projects
West End Project, London Borough of Camden, for Camden Council, with Central District Alliance, LDA Design, Norman Rourke Pryme, Arcadis and Michael Grubb Studio
Northfield Grove, Edinburgh, for City of Edinburgh Council, with Thomas & Adamson, Civic Engineers and Raeburn Farquhar Bowen
The Forest Garden, London Borough of Waltham Forest, for London Borough of Waltham Forest, with HUT, HOS landscapes, Moira Lascelles and John Little
Brent Cross West is the first mainline station to open in London in over a decade. Barnet is the first local authority in England to deliver a rail infrastructure project, securing £419 million of central government funding for the realisation of a 650 sq m site with four platforms. The station acts as a gateway to Brent Cross Town, the 73-hectare, £8 billion net-zero park town being delivered in partnership with Related Argent.
Judges’ comments:
“Infrastructure is at its best when it makes a wider impact beyond immediate and physical connections. Brent Cross West station acts as a model for future rail infrastructure projects by integrating the social, environmental and cultural aspects of the place into
the project”
Also shortlisted:
Newport Active Travel Bridge, Newport, for Newport City Council, with Grimshaw, Arup, Cass Hayward and Alun Griffiths
Market Gate Bridge, Barnsley, for Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Network Rail and the South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority with Waterman, IBI Group Architects, Arcadis and Keltbray
The £6 billion Meridian Water project, one of the largest regenerations in London, has a scope of over 25 years. It will provide 10,000 homes over its course with the first 20 delivered in September 2023, including family-sized housing, accessible homes and single-bedroom flats. Enfield Council funded the £46 million Meridian Water station, completed in 2019, and considered a lynchpin for the development.
Judges’ comments:
“This project is huge and the impact will be at a
city scale, demonstrating climate resilience and a comprehensive interplay of health and economics. The engagement seems totally genuine; there has been a really robust public consultation and they have brought the community on board with them”
Also shortlisted:
St Paul’s Gyratory Transformation Project, City of London, for City of London Corporation, with NRP, LDA Design and Transport for London
Aberdeen City Vision, Aberdeen, for Aberdeen City Council, with LDA Design, Fairhurst and Systra
Devonshire Gardens, Cambridge, for Railpen and Socius, with RH Partnership and LDA Design
Woolwich Town Centre, Royal Borough of Greenwich, for the Royal Borough of Greenwich, with LDA Design and Studio Weave
Dock Branch, Birkenhead, for Wirral Council, with OPEN, Mott MacDonald, BB Heritage and Walker Sime
The 2,000 sq m Storyteller library, cinema and housing block fully opened in summer 2023. It consists of a three-screen independent cinema, a cafe, nine apartments, co-working space, a gallery and a Changing Places sanitary facility. The £6.2 million development is located on the high street of suburban Sidcup. The project is DRDH’s first public building in the capital.
Judges’ comments:
“The council spotted the high street was failing and took the initiative to intervene, creating a project of calibre and civic pride. Acting as developer, the council kept hold of the community benefit of this project – and also kept the mature tree”
With a construction value of £25.1 million, the Appleby Blue Almshouse brings a new retirement community to Bermondsey. Of the fifty-seven new homes, fifty-one are one-bedroom flats and six are two-bedroom. The 5,800 sq m size allows for a community centre, lounge, activities room, kitchen, spa and beauty room as well as a garden. Photo: Philipp Ebeling
Judges’ comments:
“Appleby Blue is to be praised for its connection to the community, amazing programming and quality architecture, with a programme worth amplifying as a demonstrator project for inner-city living for ageing in place
Also shortlisted:
Soho Place, City of Westminster, for Derwent London and Nimax Theatres, with Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, Arup and Laing O’Rouke
Hackney Bridge, London Borough of Hackney, for Make Shift, with Turner Works
Living Wetland Theatre and Waterscapes Aviary, Slimbridge, for Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, with BD Landscape Architects, Kay Elliott Architects, Hoare Lea and David Dexter Engineers
Unity Place, Milton Keynes, for Santander UK, with LOM architecture and design
The first phase of the masterplan concerns 128 hectares of land adjacent to the Gilgai Woodlands Nature Conservation Reserve. The project addresses challenges posed by Melbourne’s rapidly growing western suburbs, with new and improved public spaces across the site. Harkness will be adapted as a multi-use space for memorialisation and community needs.
Judges’ comments:
“A compelling example of using a development process as a way of recognising and repairing harm. The design was a negotiation, death sat side-by-side with the needs of the living community, celebrating the heritage and spirituality of multiple cultures”
Also shortlisted:
Sea Gardens, Bray, for Ballymore, with Howells Architects
Micro Colony, Coastal Bangladesh, for GROHE, with UArchitects
Singapore Makers Land, Singapore, for Jurong Town Corporation, with Broadway Malyan, Savills, Arup
Thank you to our judges and chairs
Marie Williams, founder and CEO, Dream Networks
Amandeep Singh Kalra, associate director, place and design, Be First
Melissa Lacide, senior engagement officer, Quality of Life Foundation
Noah Chulu Chinn, co-founder, SUMweekly Rose Marshall, associate director, ING Media
Duncan Laird, head of urban, National Trust Chris Williamson, chair, Weston Williamson + Partners
Eleanor Fawcett, head of design, Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation Pepper Barney, founder and managing director, BiBO
Chloe Mcfarlane, engagement lead, Tranquil City
Dr Bridget Snaith, lecturer, University of Sheffield, and partner, Shape Landscape Architecture
Nick James, director, Futureground
Sophie Thompson, director, LDA Design Felicity Maries, community development and partnerships manager, Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team
Clive Nichol, founder and CEO, Fabrix Morwenna Hall, partner and COO, Related Argent
Rebecca Thomas, director, Fathom Architects
Gabriel Warshafsky, director of projects, Jan Kattein Architects
James Bruce, director, Civic Engineers Rachel Bell, director of Partnerships, Stride Treglown
Ben Adams, founding director, Ben Adams Architects
Richard Coppell, group development director, Urban&Civic
Julian Tollast, head of masterplanning and design, Quintain
Magali Thomson, project lead for placemaking , Great Ormond Street Hospital Rob Sloper, senior development director, LandsecU+I
Martin Prince-Parrott, founder, Sub/Urban Workshop
Duncan Paybody, director of landscape , Studio Egret West
Ruth White, team manager, placemaking and mobility City of Edinburgh
John Stiles, principal urban design officer, London Borough of Brent
David West, founding director, Studio Egret West
Ellie Cosgrave, director of CIC and research, Publica
Cannon Ivers, director, LDA Design
Prachi Rampuria, co-founder and director, EcoResponsive Environments
James Stockdale, development director, Muse
Christopher Arthey, director, Axiom Developments
Will Sandy, founding director, Will Sandy Design Studio
Catherine Dewar, regional director North West, Historic England
Clarissa Bromelle, head of social imagination, Human Nature
Alison Benzimra, head of research and influence, United St Saviour
Nicola McLachlan, architect /director, Collective Architecture
Rene Sommer Lindsay, associate urban designer, AtkinsRéalis
Paul Monaghan, executive director, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Blossom Young, head of operations, Poplar HARCA
Elaine Cresswell, director , reShaped Soham De, co-founder and director, EcoResponsive Environments
Alice Lester, corporate director for communities and regeneration, London Borough of Brent
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