A 157-home council housing scheme in Coulsdon, south London, has been awarded the 2026 RIBA Stirling Prize. Lion Green Road 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 replaces a former car park and is arranged across five blocks. Its sloping site varies in height by eight metres, and the design uses those changing levels and views to shape the layout. The scheme also creates a new connection between Lion Green Road and a distinctive area of green parkland beyond.
A landscape-based layout
The architects set out to create a new “living landscape” for 635 residents. The arrangement combines a consistent specification with subtle variation in height and orientation, so that the five blocks provide housing at scale without being uniform. The jury said this approach allows the scheme to balance privacy and generous views with a strong connection to nature.
Chris Williamson, RIBA President, said the project showed that density could be achieved without compromising the quality of the places created. Speaking on behalf of the jury, he described Lion Green Road as a new kind of garden neighbourhood and said it demonstrated that even the most challenging sites could be transformed into truly distinctive places for people to call home.
Construction approach
The project used efficient construction methods, simple finishes and a more streamlined building process to cut carbon emissions. The five-block layout and the £34m contract were central to delivering the 157 homes for Croydon Council. The scheme's use of level changes and its link to parkland are presented as ways of making the most of a constrained urban site rather than treating its topography only as an obstacle.
The jury's citation focused on how the development handles density, privacy, views and landscape. It also highlighted the role of a consistent design approach in producing variety without losing coherence. The award recognises a council housing scheme at a time when, in Williamson's words, there is an urgent need to deliver more homes.
The scheme's design response is not limited to the individual blocks. By using the site's changing levels and views, the architects created routes and outlooks that connect the homes to the surrounding parkland. The jury described the result as thoughtful, resourceful architecture, and said the project proves that a difficult site can be turned into a distinctive place to live.
Lion Green Road was built by CField Construction and designed by Mary Duggan Architects with RUFF Architects. The 2026 RIBA Stirling Prize was awarded to the completed 157-home scheme.