Stepping Stones longlisted for 2026 RIBAJ MacEwen Award
Now in it’s 10th year, the RIBAJ MacEwen Award recognises projects that exemplify architecture for the common good. The award celebrates schemes that have gone above and beyond in architecture to tackle one or more of the pressing social, economic, health-related or environmental issues of our time.
“At its core, the MacEwen Award is about architecture that is responsible and acts in the wider interest – and does so with dignity and joy.”
Included in this year’s longlist, Stepping Stones demonstrates how thoughtful retrofit, environmental responsibility and socially conscious design can work together to create lasting benefit for individuals and the wider community.
Commissioned by Branches (Waltham Forest Churches Night Shelter), Stepping Stones reimagines a rundown six-bedroom Victorian house into energy-efficient accommodation for adults transitioning from homelessness. The existing building was carefully reconfigured to maximise daylight, usable space, and privacy in a shared living environment.
The comprehensive fabric first retrofit has dramatically improved thermal comfort, air quality, and energy affordability, with energy demand reduced by 87%.
Stepping Stones was delivered through collaboration with construction charity CRASH and industry partners.
With its innovative low-energy retrofit and resident-focused design, Stepping Stones offers a replicable model for local authorities and charities addressing homelessness.
