About the Sheffield Design Awards

The Awards

  • Awarded to the project which best demonstrates excellence in the design of an individual home and should consider place, space, and sustainability as well as aesthetic merits.

  • Awarded to the project which best demonstrates excellence in the design of a development containing more than one dwelling and should consider place, space, and sustainability as well as aesthetic merits.

  • Awarded to a fit-out, interior refurbishment or retrofit of any budget, complexity or size, which demonstrates ingenuity, sublime workmanship, attention to detail and spatial efficiency.

  • Awarded to the project that best respects and enhances the original building/setting and should demonstrate some/all of the following characteristics - adaptive re-use of historic buildings, refurbishment and regeneration.

    Projects may also demonstrate an understanding of and give reference to the vernacular traditions and materials of their locality.

    Sponsored by the Leopold Hotel

  • Awarded to a project that demonstrates an outstanding contribution to the City’s public spaces, this may include graffiti art, pub/shop frontages, hard and soft landscaping schemes, planting schemes etc.

  • Awarded to a project with a budget of between £20,000 and £500,000, the winning project should demonstrate creativity and architectural merit within the limits of its budget.

  • Awarded to a project with a budget between £500,000 and £2.5m, the winning project should demonstrate creativity and architectural merit within the limits of its budget.

  • Awarded to a project with a budget of over £2.5m, the winning project should demonstrate architectural excellence while contributing positively to its economic, social, environmental and cultural context and makes a significant contribution to the practice of architecture in its local context.

  • New for the 2024 awards, Practice of the Year is chosen from all entries to the awards with an emphasis on multiple projects completed by the same practice.

  • The People’s Choice Award is selected from all shortlisted entries to the Sheffield Design Awards via an online vote that is open to everyone.

  • Overall prize winner which is selected from winners of all of the other categories.

  • The landmark award is awarded to a building in use that has positively contributed to the built environment in the region.