A few days ago, RIBA North East announced that it has shortlisted eleven new and exciting projects which will compete for a coveted RIBA North East Award in April.

Over the coming weeks leading up to the cermony, RIBA’s judging panel will be stopping by at a host of the North East’s highest quality buildings in the hope of finding the region’s best. Buildings are marked against a number of criteria from interior design to environmental performance. Properties selected vary widely and include: a redevelopment still in its infancy which will house Blyth Workspace, and the new Ashington Community and Leisure Centre at the heart of Ashington town centre’s strategic regeneration.

Alongside the much-revered Building of the Year Award, the shortlist will also produce a Small Project of the Year Award for a project costing less than £500,000. The jury panel will also be on the lookout for Project Architect of the Year, which is awarded to the architect who stands out as having significantly contributed to an award-winning project. Several North-East based architects are vying for the prize with a range of period, Grade II Listed developments, though they face stern competition Edinburgh-based, Sutherland Hussey Harris’s Edge Hill home renovation.

The RIBA Awards have been running for 50 years, and continue to champion and celebrate the best and most progressive architectural feats. Despite being known for setting the aesthetic standard, the association prides itself on handing out gongs to those who effectively improve the lives of residents and tenants, and RIBA demands that functionality and operational afterlife be taken into account.

Accolades are available for buildings in the UK by RIBA Chartered Architects and International Fellows. The RIBA North East award winners will be announced at an evening event at As You Like It in Newcastle upon Tyne on Friday 22nd April 2016.