Lion Green Road in Coulsdon, south London, has won the RIBA Stirling Prize 2026. The 157-home council housing scheme was designed by Mary Duggan Architects with RUFF Architects and built for Croydon Council by main contractor CField Construction under a £34m deal.
The development is arranged across five blocks on the site of a former car park. The site is sloping and varies in height by eight metres, a constraint the design team used to shape the layout and views rather than treat as a barrier. The scheme creates a new connection between the busy Lion Green Road and a distinctive area of green parkland beyond.
Homes arranged as a “living landscape”
By responding to the changing levels, the arrangement is intended to form a new “living landscape” for 635 residents. The project uses a consistent specification across the five blocks, with subtle variation in height and orientation. That approach is meant to deliver housing at scale without producing uniform blocks, while balancing privacy and views with a connection to nature.
The project also sought to reduce carbon emissions through efficient construction methods, simple finishes and a more streamlined building process. The input does not quantify the carbon savings, but identifies these choices as part of the delivery approach.
Jury praises density without loss of quality
Chris Williamson, RIBA President, speaking on behalf of the Stirling Prize jury, said the project demonstrated that density could be achieved without compromising the quality of places. He said the scheme offered housing at scale without uniformity through its consistent specification and subtle changes in height and orientation.
Williamson described the architects as having created a new kind of garden neighbourhood that balances privacy and generous views with a strong connection to nature. He called it a “living landscape” and said the project showed that even the most challenging sites could be transformed into distinctive places for people to call home.
The award places a local authority housing scheme at the centre of the 2026 Stirling Prize. Lion Green Road combines publicly commissioned homes, a constrained sloping site and a design approach focused on landscape, variation and efficient delivery. The jury’s assessment highlights the relationship between density, build quality and the quality of the places created for residents.