Early Career Architects Shine as Stephen Lawrence Prize Redefines its Focus

The entry rules for the Stephen Lawrence Prize have been altered, and only projects headed by young and emerging architects will be considered for the award.

Starting next year, the Stephen Lawrence Prize will only recognize projects completed by project architects in the early stages of their careers. This includes individuals who have obtained their qualifications within the five years leading up to the completion date of the project.

The prize, established in memory of Stephen Lawrence, an aspiring architect who was killed in a racist attack in 1993, has been awarded annually for the past 25 years to the best small-scale projects with a construction budget of less than £1 million.

The Stephen Lawrence Prize for Architecture, established in 1998 by Doreen Lawrence and the late Marco Goldschmied's foundation, will now focus exclusively on early-career architects. This revision in the program's focus is intended to increase diversity and inclusion in the industry. Previous winners of the prize include established practices such as Tonkin Liu, Níall McLaughlin Architects, and Mole Architects.

In addition to the revised eligibility criteria, the prize will also include a mentoring scheme for young architecture students. A student chosen by the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation will join the prize jury and be mentored by the winning project architect.

Doreen Lawrence, who set up the prize in memory of her son Stephen Lawrence, stated, "Finding ways to increase diversity and inclusion are critical, and I am delighted that this new iteration of the award will solely recognize the work of early-career architects. The revised eligibility, alongside the mentoring scheme, ensures that the award aligns strongly with our aim to celebrate those starting out in the industry." She added, "As always, I very much look forward to joining the jury next year."

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced changes to the Stephen Lawrence Prize, which recognizes the work of young, black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) architects. The prize, which was established in 1998 in memory of Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager who was killed in a racist attack, will now be open to architects who have qualified in the past 10 years, up from the previous five-year limit.

Additionally, the prize will now include a category for "small projects" in addition to the existing categories for "buildings" and "community-led projects." Matthew Goldschmied, the managing trustee at the Marco Goldschmied Foundation, said that these changes are a way to "refresh and evolve" the prize and that he is excited about the increased "breadth and diversity" that the changes will bring. The shortlisted projects for the Stephen Lawrence Prize will still be chosen from the winners of the RIBA's Regional Awards. 

The 2023 winner will be announced at the RIBA Stirling Prize Ceremony in October 2023.