Our 2025 Photo Competition Winners

Thank you to everyone who submitted photographs to this year’s Architects at Work competition. With over 40 impressiveentries, the judging panel had a difficult task choosing the finalists.

We’re pleased to announce this year’s winning photograph, along with two Highly Commended entries and two images that caught the judges’ eye for their creativity and perspective.

Congratulations to all those recognised—and thank you to everyone who took part.

Great composition and lighting. Lots of interesting elements within the photograph. An excellent representation of the subject matter 'Architect at Work.

A view of early-stage architectural work with a focus on the design-aspect, with bold colours throughout the image. A photograph with lots of detail.

Interesting timber carving detail drawing the eye into the image. Good composition. The photograph caused the judge's to pause and wonder 'what is the architect looking at?

Illustrates a skill set is slightly different within the conservation sector. Shows intervention and decay within the stonework. The colour of the sky and the light on the stonework complement each other beautifully.

A well-balanced image. Soft colouring. The lighting and the textures in the image are very pleasing.

These awards celebrate projects that demonstrate the highest standards of historic building conservation and recognise schemes that make a meaningful contribution to the quality and character of the built environment.

We’re delighted to share this year’s shortlist, showcasing an inspiring range of conservation projects from across the UK, recognising projects that successfully preserve and enhance historic places while ensuring their future sustainability. Each project has been selected as a regional finalist following a rigorous first-stage assessment and will now be considered by the national judging panel for an Award or Highly Commended recognition.

The Regional Finalists will find out whether they have received an Award or Highly Commended recognition at the Civic Trust Award Ceremony held at The Concorde Conference Centre on Friday 27th March. 

Discover the projects shortlisted this year and explore the full list of regional finalists:

Current AABC Guidance on CPD

AABC Registered Architects and new applicants to the register are required to do a minimum of 12 hours of conservation related CPD is required per year. At least half should be structured CPD, including participation in seminars, webinars, and courses. Visits to historic sites and attendance at DAC meetings give valuable insights, but do not fully demonstrate professional development. They may be included as unstructured CPD, but should not be its focus. Site visits as part of a project or potential project are not considered CPD.

Upcoming CPD Opportunities

SPAB - Hot Topics in Building Conservation: Online CPD Lunchtime Lectures | The SPAB

1 - 2pm, Wednesday lunchtimes throughout March 2026 £20 each.

SPAB say they will be putting some of the most pressing issues affecting the sector under the spotlight. Changing weather patterns, rising energy prices and evolving regulatory requirements are just some of the challenges facing traditional buildings and those who care for them. These lectures will offer valuable insights into how we can tackle these hot topics and safeguard our built heritage for the future.

Historic England's Technical Tuesdays: Technical Conservation Webinars | Historic England Free

Historic England has a whole host of recordings on various topics related to conservation. Delivered by their Technical Conservation Team, these sessions cover a wide range of subjects—from sustainable energy retrofits to materials like timber, stone, and concrete.

Historic England has recently published a new set of case studies exploring the installation and operation of air source heat pumps (ASHPs) in large historic buildings.

As the built environment moves towards decarbonisation, ASHP technology is emerging as a practical and accessible solution for reducing carbon emissions from heating systems. Compared with other heat pump technologies, ASHPs can typically be installed more quickly and with lower upfront costs, making them an attractive option for many historic properties.

The study highlights several key findings:

• ASHPs can work effectively in historic buildings, providing a readily available method of decarbonising heating systems.
• Visual and noise impacts were not reported as issues by building users, reflecting findings from previous research.
• Carbon dioxide refrigerant systems offer particular advantages, including the potential to reuse existing pipework, reduce embodied carbon emissions, and minimise unintended emissions caused by refrigerant leaks.

The full document is free to download.

We were saddened to hear the news of the recent passing of Tim Wilkins, an architect for Historic England in the Northwest. Below is a tribute received from Peter Barlow.

Tim was very enthusiastic about all historic buildings and their role in the history of the nation. He worked on a lot of Hadrian's Wall related projects in his years as Cumbria's County Architect, especially the visitor attraction of Birdoswald Roman Fort. His 20 years at Historic England saw multi millions of pounds delivered to Churches across the region; he loved seeing them repaired and back into full use. His forest funeral was at Rainford, and although without relatives, there was a gathering of friends and neighbours before a small wake at Tim's local in Adlington. God's blessings to our enigmatic colleague.

Welcome to the following new members who have recently gained AABC Conservation Accreditation status.