2023 winners

Carbon Net Zero Initiative of the Year

Winner - Strategic Pipeline Alliance

Disruptive Carbon Reduction

SPA is delivering one of the biggest UK infrastructure projects. Its capital carbon baseline (309,413 TCO2e) is larger than the whole of Anglian Water’s 2015-2020 programme. The team, using a Digital Twin and innovation, has led a disruptive challenge process to optimise the design while not compromising on outcomes, to enable the project to be on track for an industry-leading capital carbon reduction of 65% and significantly exceeding the 27% operational carbon target. All of which is supporting Anglian Water’s net zero 2030 ambitions. Now in construction, the project is committed to finding further ways to reduce its carbon footprint.

Community Impact Initiative of the Year

Winner - Vinci Building

New Victoria Residential Development, Manchester

Having identified the ever increasing growth in homelessness within Manchester's city centre (which currently stands at 1 in 74 people in the city), VINCI's project team sought to provide whatever assistance they could. In doing so, the team partnered with local charity 'Lifeshare', to transform site welfare accommodation into a pop-up drop-in centre right in the heart of the city to offer homeless people and those in crisis a place to find hot meals, companionship, medical and personal care, shower facilities, veterinary care and other amenities with the aim to reduce isolation and bring people together over the Christmas period.

Highly commended - Tideway

Delivering social value through its legacy programme

Digital Initiative of the Year

Sponsored by

Winner - HLM Architects

eDigiT2Life Research & Development

eDigiT2Life is an Innovate UK funded Research & Development Project where HLM, IES, University of Glasgow and Sciencescope collaborated to develop and trial a Digital Twin, evolving from compliance building models to operational digital twin of buildings. Using the University of Glasgow’s extensive estate which includes a variety of buildings constructed between 1885 and 2022, the research team looked to assess current performance across the whole building lifecycle, and investigate options for improving this. The eDigiT2Life project innovates both in the technical methodology to evolve the digital twin and in the business model utilised to commercialise its adoption and proliferation.

Environment & Sustainability Initiative of the Year

Sponsored by

Winner - C-Probe Systems

Low carbon resilient corrosion management of parking decks

The Omni Centre car park is an underground structure comprising 4 levels and opened in 2002. The parking decks to Levels -1 to -4 showed signs of disrepair from the ingress of de-icing salts from traffic using the shopping and entertainment complex above with failure from uncontrolled previous repairs. Following extensive condition surveying by the consulting team, the design aimed to provide long-term control of corrosion using an optimised, low carbon approach with respect to the materials used and preservation of embodied carbon through targeted and minimised repair, dovetailed with online control systems for whole life protection.

Highly commended - Skanska Costain Strabag JV Railways

Electric piling rig

Health, Safety & Wellbeing Initiative of the Year

Winner - Anglian Water, Aecom and Balfour Beatty

People Operated Plant Managed Service Desk

Anglian Water has undertaken an innovative initiative to transform the way people-operated plants are managed. The resulting Managed Service Desk (MSD) system, introduces cutting-edge AI-driven human form recognition (HFR) and digital thumbs-up systems. Combined with telematics and increased safety features, this is helping to both identify potential hazards and reduce the risk of accidents and injuries on sites. The introduction of innovative technologies like AI-HFR is a first for the construction industry and alongside digital transformation management tools, it has proven to minimise plant safety risk, achieve cost savings, and enhance business resilience.

Highly commended - Anglian Water @one Alliance

LIFE Fest 22

IPA’s Industry Innovation Champion

Supported by

Winner - Brilliant Ideas

Highly commended - Alice Technologies and Skanska Costain Strabag JV

Partnership Initiative of the Year

Sponsored by

Winner - Zed Pods

Zed Pods & Mid Devon District Council

Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) has worked very closely with ZED PODS limited to design, obtain planning and build 14 high-quality, highly energy-efficient, social-rented modular homes over two sites in underutilised council-owned garage sites. Both projects are pioneering, environmental and socially focused MMC led housing development. They demonstrate how precision manufacturing can be used to build innovative housing and address both “affordable” housing and climate change crisis, and at the same time are economically viable to deliver under the present difficult market conditions.

Highly commended - HS2

Supply Chain Collaboration Hub

Place Making Initiative of the Year

Winner - ScottWhitbyStudio

Jubilee Pool

The community-led rejuvenation to the UK’s largest seawater lido, including a UK-first geothermal well to heat the waters. The pool, which has dominated the Penzance coastline for nearly 100 years, now remains open year-round with over double the number of annual visitors, ensuring a financially and ecologically sustainable future for the community owned heritage facility. Lead designer Alex Scott-Whitby's own history with the pool extends back generations, and now, thanks to the recent revival of the facility, the pool has supported a new generation, with his daughter learning to swim in the heated lido.

Product Innovation of the Year

Winner - J-strut

Prop Smarter

Say goodbye to manually winding acrows. The J-strut is a temporary steel prop that lets operators use a cordless impact driver to make height adjustments instead of a manual handle - reducing time and labour costs on projects, whilst making the job safer and easier for end users.

Productivity Initiative of the Year

Sponsored by

Winner - Network Rail

Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Footbridge ‘FLOW’

Installation of a new railway footbridge design known as FLOW that is quicker and easier to produce, more environmentally friendly to install and less costly overall than standard steel footbridges. The new crossing is made from Fibre-Reinforced Polymer and opened in January 2023 over a rural rail line at Wistanstow in Shropshire, replacing a level crossing that closed on safety grounds. Network Rail’s Research & Development team worked with a diverse group of stakeholders to deliver the scheme, which went from drawing board to completion of a prototype in under one year.  

Temporary Works Initiative of the Year

Winner - Riverlinx CJV (Ferrovial Construction, Bam Nuttall, SK Ecoplant)

Tunnel boring machine rotation for Silvertown Tunnels

The Riverlinx CJV delivering the Silvertown Tunnels beneath the River Thames has employed innovative techniques to turn their tunnel boring machine through 180 degrees while below ground level. The co-ordinated temporary works designs developed and utilised in this rotation process has allowed construction of the second parallel tunnel drive; reusing the same 11.8m diameter 2000t TBM immediately following completion of the first drive. This clever and efficient solution provided significant time, cost and carbon savings to the project and is a model for future infrastructure tunnelling projects.

Commercial Property Project of the Year

Winner - Soho Place

Commissioning Authority: Derwent London
Lead Designer: Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Lead Contractor: Laing O’Rourke
Other Project Contributors: Nimax, Gardiners & Theobald, Aecom, Arup, Haworth Tompkins, CharcoalBlue, Ian Albery, Gillieron Scott, WSP, Caneparo Associates, EQ2 Light, David Bonnett Associates, QCIC, Bureau Veritas, Gerald Eve, OAG, Explore Manufacturing, BHC, CDM, Lindner, Quest Joinery and Stortfords Interiors, Delta Fabrications and CMF, Stage Electrics, Kirwin & Simpson, GDS, James Johnson

Built on the arrival of Crossrail to bolster the large-scale regeneration of Oxford Street’s eastern end, this mixed-use project with retail, office space and a new 600-seat theatre delivers the latest iteration of a long-term research initiative between AHMM and Derwent London into the city and the workplace.

Cultural & Leisure Project of the Year

Winner - Jubilee Pool

Commissioning Authority: Jubilee Pool Penzance
Lead Designer: ScottWhitbyStudio
Lead Contractor: Catling Construction
Other Project Contributors: Webb Yates Engineers, GEON - GEL Geothermal Engineering, Arup, Fox Cornwall, PT Projects, A1 Construction Penzance, ESW, Fibreglass

The community-led rejuvenation to the UK’s largest seawater lido, including a UK-first geothermal well to heat the waters. The pool now remains open year-round with over double the number of annual visitors, ensuring a financially and ecologically sustainable future for the community owned heritage facility.

Highly commended - Chester Northgate Development

Highly commended - Wokingham Leisure Centre & Library Complex at Carnival Hub

Environmental Project of the Year

Winner - Mill Fleam Pumping Station

Commissioning Authority: Derby City Council
Lead Designer: JBA Bentley
Lead Contractor: JBA Bentley

We designed-and-constructed a new 4500 l/s flood defence pumping station in under 15 months through: 3D and augmented reality to improve resource use and safety; Off-site and factory manufactured products to reduce site-time and enhance quality; Collaborative design, commissioning, construction and client teams to ensure right solution at right time.

Highly commended - Porthcawl Sandy Bay Coastal Scheme

Residential Project of the Year

Winner - Hill Street House

Commissioning Authority: Linc Cymru Housing Association
Lead Designer: Zed Pods
Lead Contractor: Zed Pods
Other Project Contributors: Tata Steel, Rockwool, Rationel Windows & Doors

The Hill Street House an ultra low-energy/low-carbon social housing scheme for people living in temporary accommodation in Newport. It is funded by the Welsh Government Phase 2 Homelessness grant, is one of the highest levels of energy performances in social housing sector built in line with Welsh Government Decarbonisation Programme.

Highly commended - Magna Square, Surrey

Social Infrastructure Project of the Year

Winner - Wadham College

Commissioning Authority: Wadham College, University of Oxford
Lead Designer: AL_A
Lead Contractor: Beard Construction
Other Project Contributors: Arup, Bidwells, Gleeds, Turnberry, Ridge, Churchman Thornhill Finch, Eckersley O'Callaghan, Colorminium, CRICURSA, Anodisers, Barn 6, Johnsons Wellfield

Two new buildings for Wadham College sit at the heart of its historic Oxford site. One, a state-of-the-art Undergraduate Centre, the other, an Aspiration Centre. Both create a welcoming space for Wadham’s diverse undergraduate student body and the increasing number of students attending access and outreach events.

Highly commended - Glebe Farm School, Milton Keynes

Transport Project of the Year

Sponsored by

Winner - East Leeds Orbital Route

Commissioning Authority: Leeds City Council
Lead Designer: AtkinsRéalis
Lead Contractor: Balfour Beatty
Other Project Contributors: Knight Architects, Tarmac

The East Leeds Orbital Route is the largest project Leeds City Council undertook in the past 50 years consisting of 6.8km of new dual carriageway, 5 new roundabout junctions and 6 bridges. Its unique design promotes active travel with leisure routes for pedestrians/cyclists/equestrians, 3 pocket parks and 2 outdoor gyms.

Highly commended - Bank Station Capacity Upgrade Project

Upgrade & Renewal Project of the Year

Winner - Finsbury Park Access for All Scheme

Commissioning Authority: Network Rail
Lead Designer: Network Rail
Lead Contractor: Barhale
Other Project Contributors: Crouch Waterfall, OTB, Global Rail

Finsbury Park Station has been transformed through the installation of lift shafts and accessibility enhancements. It is a central London, landmark station with over 33 million passengers using the station in 2019, now benefitting from full step-free access thanks to the Network Rail and Barhale Access for All (AFA) scheme.

Utility Project of the Year

Winner - The Greenway Trunk Sewer Diversion

Commissioning Authority: Thames Water
Lead Designer: Mott MacDonald
Lead Contractor: Barhale
Other Project Contributors: BCS Group, FP McCann, Woodhorn Group, Springbridge, WJ Groundwater, Berryrange, Kilnbridge, Flannerys

Successful diversion of a large diameter sewer in Ruislip allows HS2 construction to progress and was critical to maintaining services to 150,000 households and businesses over a 10km2 area. Extending 21km, the sewer is one of the main pipelines supplying Mogden WwTW, which serves 2.1 million people in West London.

Highly commended - Mission Sellindge

NIC Design Principles Award

Winner - Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Footbridge ‘FLOW’

Commissioning Authority: Network Rail
Lead Designer: Knight Architects
Lead Contractor: Network Rail
Other Project Contributors: Jacobs, Q-Railings, JT Consulting, KS Composite, Sui Generis, Epsilon Optics, Foflo

Highly commended - East Leeds Orbital Route

Highly commended - The Elizabeth Line