sustainability has been really central to the concept of the building. we have systems such as the heat pump that heats the museum underpinning the energy strategy. we have selected wherever possible local materials so that the travel from source to site is as short as possible. the building has a zero waste strategy so all of the domestic waste water is treated on site and it is filtered through the landscape and weed beds so it can then be discharged back into the lake as clean water. the site isjust amazing. it reflects boat building, it reflects restoration, conservation. some of the success of what the team has achieved here is a building that is simultaneously foreground and background. the foreground s the visitor experience, a building that is here. and yet it is the background, the backdrop to a beautiful landscape setting, and immersing yourself
after hours, hours of agonising discussion, we concluded as a team that the winner was about the future, it was about younger generations, first generation students, and that of course leads us to the town house by grafton architects. applause kingston town house, a building with a purpose, to make university life open, accessible, collaborative, social, receiving the award. and we have to win out with us now. gerard from grafton architects, congratulations, must be a good feeling? astonishing, we are delighted we won this prize. particularly for the university because this is something that is so important,
archaeology on the surface of the island. the elegance of this solution is it is anchored into the rock on either side below the sensitive archaeology, very clever. the materials we used were important notjust structurally, but also how it will tie into the landscape, the situation. for the bridge deck we have used mined slate, mined from the quarryjust two miles away. 40,000 hand split and hand cut slates have been laid on edge like after eight mints. one word that encapsulates the building is, it is not a very architectural word, but it is fun and the kind of project you can see so easily on the faces of users, and the enjoyment they are getting from the project and that is extremely gratifying. and now ourfinal building. 0ur mosque in cambridge. when i first walked in, i think you first enter up the stairs through the car park and you see the sweeping pillars, it is breathtaking, to be honest. the puzzle here was to try
the building is meant to evoke memories of an old stone built nunnery that once stood here, but it does stand out a bit when compared with its brick built neighbours. one member of the local preservation society described it as an alien blob. and the council wanted it demolished. the long, legal battle to keep the wrecking ball away has been won. but it has left its scars. was there a moment when you thought you wish you had never started this? of course. sorry, you want me to elaborate, obviously. yes, you have moments of doubt. obviously it would have been far easier to do nothing, not attempt to investigate, experiment, innovate, as it were. this really could have been a pile of rubble. i am told by councillors, other councillors and all the legal team involved that it wouldn t have done, but as far as i can
it is so culturally diverse and we must think about integrating so many people in different ways so they feel comfortable. if it is about gender or race or about culture or religion, they all feel they should belong. it is like a little world, really, a complete little world. so you can find people who are like you who can speak to you in this building. thank you very much indeed, congratulations. the winner of this year s riba stirling prize is kingston town house, grafton architects, and talking to them, they said one measure would be looking at how many chance encounters, casual conversations, smiles, how much laughter was in the building, and a building that is a celebration of togetherness. it feels a fitting winner of this year s riba stirling building of the year. with that, thank you.