Lion Green Road in Coulsdon, south London, has been awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize 2026. The 157-home development was designed by Mary Duggan Architects with RUFF Architects and built for Croydon Council by main contractor CField Construction under a £34 million deal.
The scheme comprises five blocks on the site of a former car park. The land slopes by eight metres, and the design uses that change in level to create a new connection between the busy Lion Green Road and an area of green parkland beyond. According to the project description, the arrangement of the buildings and views forms a new landscape for 635 residents.
Jury assessment
The jury, represented by RIBA president Chris Williamson, said the project showed that density could be delivered without lowering the quality of the places created. It highlighted a consistent specification, with subtle variation in the height and orientation of the blocks, as a way of providing housing at scale without uniformity.
The jury also described the result as a new kind of garden neighbourhood. In its assessment, the design balances privacy and generous views with a strong connection to nature. It added that the scheme demonstrates how a difficult site can be transformed into a distinctive place for people to live.
Construction and carbon
The project used efficient construction methods, simple finishes and a more streamlined building process, measures that the project says allowed it to cut carbon emissions. The scheme replaces a former car park and creates a new route between the road and the parkland.
The award places a council housing scheme at the centre of this year's Stirling Prize. The judges' comments focus on the relationship between the number of homes, the quality of the places created, and the handling of a sloping site. The project's main contractor, CField Construction, delivered the five-block development under the £34 million contract for Croydon Council.