The Queen Elizabeth II Garden is shortlisted in the Built – Sustainability and Resilience category.
The Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent’s Park is a radical exemplar of sustainability and resilience, transforming a two-acre former store yard into a biodiverse, climate-adaptive public landscape. Opening a previously inaccessible part of Regent’s Park, the design pays tribute to the late Queen by referencing her life through structural symbolism and curated planting.
A core innovation is the project’s circular economy approach, which shaped both the design and its aesthetic. Instead of importing vast quantities of new materials, redundant concrete foundations were crushed and blended with quarry overburden on-site to create novel, low-fertility growing mediums. These soils directly informed the planting strategy, led by Dr. Noel Kingsbury, which features drought-tolerant, intermingled species. This approach creates plant communities resilient to extreme weather, requires less maintenance, and fosters open mosaic habitats crucial for diverse insect populations. The garden ultimately achieves an exceptional 184% BNG, 80% reduction in embodied carbon alongside diverting 100% of non-contaminated waste from landfill.
Greenford Quay is shortlisted for the Built Masterplanning and Urban Design category.
Greenford Quay is an exemplar for modern cities and is on course to deliver 2118 homes along with commercial and community spaces, remediating a piece of derelict industrial land and breathing new life into a previously inaccessible stretch of the Grand Union Canal.
The scheme provides 27 hectares of enhanced public realm, designed to create a sense of belonging and placemaking. A new public plaza with dancing fountains supports the cultural life of the development, while a nature-rich landscape and a stone amphitheatre fronting the restored canal banks have become popular gathering spots for residents and visitors alike. This space is activated year-round by Greystars’ operations team, who curate a bespoke programme of community activities such as outdoor cinema screenings, food markets and music festivals.
