Camden school and playground on Stirling Prize shortlist

Plot 10 in Chalton Street near St Pancras Station, includes 44 new council homes and space for an after-school club, and theatre education charity Scene & Heard.

Commmissioned by Camden Council as part of the wider regeneration of the deprived Somers Town area, the project is one of six shortlisted for The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) prestigious Stirling Prize.

Plot 10 was commissioned by Camden Council and designed by architect Adam Khan. (Image: David Grandorge)

Judges praised the design by Hackney-based Adam Khan Architects for tackling inequality and building community. The scheme was developed with the input of the local community and includes flats that judges call "generous" and that enable "natural ventilation and cooling," creating "a key community asset which is a marked improvement on the previous facility on the site."

Camden Councillor Danny Beales, Cabinet Member for New Homes, Jobs, and Community Investment, said: "Camden is continuing to build nationally recognised council housing, new schools and community facilities to improve our residents’ lives and support their ambitions. Despite big cuts to our funding from Government, we are taking much-needed action to tackle inequalities in Somers Town and providing residents with access to new state-of-the-art school and community facilities.

The scheme includes an adventure playground and has been shortlisted for RIBA's prestigious Stirling Prize (Image: David Grandorge)

"The new homes are helping to lift families out of overcrowded flats and giving children the space they need to learn and grow - and all are built to the highest modern standards of design and sustainability.

"Local residents in Somers Town guided this project every step of the way and our partners have helped make the visions and ideas of our residents a reality."

Other nominees for the award include the trailblazing A House for Artists in Linton Road, Barking which RIBA says: "Provides an ambitious model for affordable and sustainable housing."

A House For Artists in Barking has also been shortlisted for the Stirling Prize (Image: David Grandorge)

A partnership between the borough of Barking & Dagenham and arts organisation Create London, it provides affordable accommodation with a flexible live/work space for 12 artists who deliver free creative programmes for the neighbourhood in exchange for reduced rent.

Activities take place in a ground floor glass-walled community hall, and outdoor exhibition space facing the street.

A House For Artists includes a ground floor community space and gallery where creatives offer free activities (Image: Jimmy Lee)

Morden College, an elderly residential home in South London and the revamp of the Courtauld Institute of Arts in central London are also on the 2023 shortlist, which RIBA President Muyiwa Oki, says: "illustrates why architecture matters to all of us"

"These six remarkable buildings offer thoughtful, creative responses to the really complex challenges we're facing today. Whether it's tackling loneliness, building communities, or preserving our heritage, these projects lay out bold blueprints for purposeful architecture.

Amidst a backdrop of housing shortages, growing inequality, and economic uncertainties, this year's shortlist demonstrates that well-designed buildings can offer genuinely inspiring solutions to our most pressing problems."

The winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2023 will be announced on October 19.