Ballymena house in the running for RUSA 2022 Design Award

‘House in the Glebe’, designed by Ballymena-based architects Marshall McCann, is one of nine buildings making the final list following a rigorous judging process by an expert panel of architects from across Ireland and GB.

Each of the projects shortlisted will now be visited for a second round of judging and the winners will be announced at a ceremony on Friday, April 29, in the Great Hall at Queen’s University, Belfast.

It will be a fitting venue for this year’s prestigious awards ceremony. The renovation of the building, which saw the restoration of carved stone elements, the repair and replacement of zinc window frames as well as brand-new wooden paneling throughout the Great Hall, was named as an RSUA Design Award winner in 2021 and was also commended in the conservation category.

Ciarán Fox, Director of the RSUA welcomed the news, commenting “Buildings have an enormous impact out our lives and that is why it is so important we get them right. Not only for the people who are in them every day, but also for the occasional visitor, the neighbour, the passerby and very importantly, for our natural environment.

“I congratulate the architects, clients and wider teams involved in delivering these nine projects. Having assessed this year’s submissions the distinguished judging panel has concluded that each of these works of architecture have demonstrated some element of delight, invention or ambition that deserves a more thorough examination. I am pleased to say this year’s award schemes included the introduction of new entry criteria designed to ensure the competition remains the most robust measure of the best architecture emerging from Northern Ireland. The buildings submitted were required to have been in use for at least one year before they could be put forward so that the judging panel could better evaluate the sustainability and overall performance of these projects. RSUA will continue raise the bar in relation to the way our built environment is assessed, ensuring that the focus is not just on aesthetics but the full range of design considerations including crucially the environmental impact and carbon footprint.”

Projects that win an RSUA Design Award will be in the running to win the Liam McCormick Prize - NI’s building of the year and will be considered for a UK-wide RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence.