Originally published in Architects Journal, 16 January 2024
This year’s competition, again with a prize purse of £25,000, seeks innovative design proposals to transform any non-residential site in the UK or Ireland into new sustainable housing.
Concepts should explore how the current structure could be ‘upcycled, retrofitted and/or mined’ to provide a minimum of five homes. Submissions are encouraged to respond to the ‘housing ideals of people in their early 20s to early 40s’.
The annual prize recognises the best of ‘transformative architecture of the home’. It is open to multidisciplinary teams featuring at least one ARB or RIAI-registered architect. Each year, three shortlisted teams receive £5,000 while the overall winner takes home a further £10,000.
The award is named after architect, visualiser and Hayes Davidson founder Alan Davidson, who died of motor neurone disease in 2018.
Alan Davidson Foundation director Marie Chamillard said: ‘Alan was always looking to the future, and he was true believer in the power of design to make the world a better place. He would have loved the idea of trailblazing with new design ideas to redefine the next generation of sustainable homes.’
