Cambridge-based 5th Studio won the showpiece prize at the prestigious 3R Awards (Refurb, Rethink, Retrofit) ceremony last night.

The practice’s Wolfson Flats scheme in Cambridge scooped both the large housing scheme category and the coveted Best Lower Carbon Building Project - effectively the awards’ ‘best of the best’ accolade.

Other winners were Bennetts Associates’ Stirling Prize-shortlisted Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres transformation, Stratford-Upon-Avon in the cultural building category, bere:architects’ Mayville Community Centre, London in the public sector building category and Shepheard Epstein Hunter‘s Percy Gee Building, Leicester in the higher education category.

The best lower carbon infrastructure project, and overall non-building winner, went to Wessex Water for its Weymouth Sewage Treatment Works refurbishment.

The 3R Awards are backed by The Architects’ Journal, Construction News and New Civil Engineer and celebrate design, engineering and construction excellence that ‘prolongs the active life of buildings and infrastructure, helping the lower energy/lower carbon agenda’.

Following the success of the inaugural Retrofit Awards, launched in 2010, the awards were expanded to include all areas of the retrofit and refurbishment markets.

Commenting on the awards, Paul Finch, editorial director of the Architects’ Journal, said: ‘Retrofit and creative adaptation will be critical if we are to develop sustainable, long-term built environments. They are also essential if we are going to meet the challenge of a low-carbon future. These awards are a recognition and celebration of great projects already completed, and will promote exemplars across the construction industry.’

Entries were up 30 per cent on last year’s.

Paul Finch and government chief construction adviser, Paul Morrell hosted the awards and presented the winners with their trophies.

Winners in full
Cultural Buildings          
Bennetts Associates Architects, Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres Transformation, Stratford-Upon-Avon

Housing (small)              
Penoyre & Prasad, Retrofit for Living
Highly Commended – urbed, Retrofit for the Future, Rotherham

Housing (large)  
  
5th Studio, Wolfson Flats, Cambridge

5th Studio’s Wolfson Flats scheme in Cambridge winner of both the large housing scheme category and the coveted Best Lower Carbon Building Project

Listed Buildings/Structures
Ian Ritchie Architects, North House, Westminster

Offices
Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Architects, Angel Building, Islington

Product Innovation       
Knauf Insulation, ThermoShell® Internal Wall Insulation System

Best Service Provider  
Buttress Fuller Alsop Williams, Great Western Warehouse, Manchester
Highly Commended – RDG Engineering, Paddington Span 4 Renewal, London

Public Sector Building
bere:architects, Mayville Community Centre, London

Best Public Sector Building - bere:architects, Mayville Community Centre, London

Transport Infrastructure             
Balfour Beatty Capital, The Workington (Calva) Bridge Rehabilitation, Cumbria

Public Sector – Education Building (Sponsored by Monodraught)
Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture, Westborough Primary School Zero Carbon Refurbishment,  Westcliff-on-Sea

Public Sector – Higher Education Building
Shepheard Epstein Hunter, Percy Gee Building, Leicester

Utility Facilities (Sponsored by ISG)
Wessex Water, Weymouth Sewage Treatment Works Refurbishment

Retail and Leisure (Sponsored by Kingspan)
Make, The Montpellier Chapter Hotel, Cheltenham

Best Lower Carbon Infrastructure Project
Wessex Water, Weymouth Sewage Treatment Works refurbishment

Best Lower Carbon Building Project
5th Studio, Wolfson Flats, Cambridge

The judges were:

Paul Morrell, Government Chief Construction Advisor
Simon Sturgis, architect and partner at Sturgis Associates
Ruth Reed, immediate past president at the RIBA
Paul Toyne, Group Head of Sustainability at WSP
Hattie Hartman, Sustainability Editor at the Architects’ Journal
Russ Hamilton, architect and director at Terry Farrell & Partners
Katie Barker, reporter, Construction News
William Kemp, Vice President of the institution of Civil Engineers
Jane Wernick, engineer and partner at Jane Wernick Associates
Neil May, Chair of the Good Homes Alliance