TODD Architects’ ‘Outstanding’ Student Hub Wins Top Honour at Ulster Design Awards
TODD Architects has secured the top accolade at the 2025 Ulster Design Awards for their Student Hub at Queen’s Business School, which was crowned Northern Ireland’s Building of the Year by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA).
The £17.5 million hub, situated next to the historic red-brick Riddel Hall in Belfast, received the prestigious Liam McCormick Prize and was one of five winners of this year’s RSUA Design Awards, selected from a shortlist of seven announced in March.
Other award-winning projects include:
- One Elmwood, a versatile event space for Queen’s University Belfast, designed by Hawkins\Brown and RPP Architects.
- New Gate Arts and Culture Centre by McGurk Architects.
- Silver Bark House, a timber-clad home by Marshall McCann Architects, which also earned the RSUA Sustainability Award for its eco-conscious design overlooking the Mourne Mountains.
- Light House by McGonigle McGrath Architects—a thoughtful transformation of two terraced houses with views over Belfast Lough, also named House of the Year for its ‘clever, connected, and contemporary’ approach.
Queen’s University Belfast was named Client of the Year for its role in delivering both the One Elmwood and Student Hub projects.
Judges praised the 6,000m² Student Hub for its holistic design, noting its sensitive response to a challenging brief, historic surroundings, and sustainability goals. “The building exemplifies low-energy, environmentally conscious design,” they said, highlighting its use of a geothermal heating system drawn from the site’s sandstone substrate. The project, they added, achieves a “harmonious blend of functionality and aesthetic quality.”
Last year’s Building of the Year, the 75,000m² Ulster University Belfast Campus, did not go on to win an RIBA National Award—something the RSUA aims to avoid by requiring all entries to have been in use for at least a year, enabling more accurate assessments of sustainability and real-world performance.
The five award-winning schemes are now in the running for RIBA National Awards, with the shortlist for the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize to be drawn from national winners. The Stirling Prize winner will be announced in October.
2025 RSUA Design Award Winners:
- One Elmwood, Queen’s University – Hawkins\Brown and RPP Architects
- Silver Bark House – Marshall McCann Architects
- Student Hub, Queen’s Business School – TODD Architects
- Light House – McGonigle McGrath Architects
- New Gate Arts and Culture Centre – McGurk Architects
