Appleby Blue Almshouse wins RIBA 2025 Stirling Prize

This year, the prestigious Stirling Prize was awarded to Witherford Watson Mann architects’ Appleby Blue Almshouse in Southwark.

UK’s best new building

Widely regarded as the highest accolade in architecture, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize recognises the UK’s best new building, judged to be ‘the most significant of the year for the evolution of architecture and the built environment.’ Evaluation criteria include design vision, innovation and originality, as well as how well a building stimulates, engages, and delights its occupants and visitors. Additional criteria are the building’s sustainability, accessibility, suitability for its purpose, and the level of client satisfaction.

Visual appeal, site safety and programme efficiencies

The structure of Appleby Blue Almshouse consists of a four-storey reinforced concrete frame with flat slabs and a top storey of timber construction. For stability, the lift and staircase core walls were constructed in concrete.

For visual appeal, site safety and programme efficiencies, RVK connectors were chosen to support the precast stairs and landings off core walls. Easily deployed via a hopper, the cost-effective RVK range is an elegant and efficient alternative to traditional RSAs or corbels, and ideal for landings which are screeded to level, or which have other floor coverings.

Enabling clean architectural lines, maximising usable space and accelerated rate of construction are just a few the advantages of using telescopic connectors (instead of RSAs) to support precast elements. Other benefits include minimising material usage, fulfilment of anchorage requirements and inherent fire protection without the need for additional works and materials.

Accommodating stair landing configurations

At Appleby Blue Almshouse, as three core walls were available for the connection, RVK 101 STD connectors in combination with REDiBOX PRF STD recess formers were chosen.

RVK and TSS telescopic connectors can be used in different layouts according to stair landing configuration. Standard RVK and TSS stair landing connectors are appropriate where three walls are available for the connection, whereas our pinned variants enable robustness requirements to be met where only one or two core walls are available.

More information on selecting the appropriate stair landing connector by layout options is available on the TSS and RVK product page or in the telescopic connector brochure.

To discuss how our range of telescopic connectors can be used to meet a specific project requirement, please contact us.