Caro Communications

It’s always a pleasure to peruse the winners of the @ribalondon Awards – and this year, the judges have chosen to highlight 43 projects that represent the best the capital has to offer. We are very proud of our friends at @stanton_williams for winning the region’s Building of the Year with Marshgate at UCL East, a forward-looking education hub that the jury praised as “audacious in both programme and concept”. The awards also acknowledged the importance of retrofit, including @squirepartners and @atelier_ten ’s masterful transformation of Space House, @haworthtompkins careful refurbishment of the Warburg Institute, and @dsdha_architecture , @ahmmarchitects , Stanton Williams, @morrisand.company , and East’s Norton Folgate redevelopment, spanning the City and Spitalfields. And it’s also heartening to see architects working with and for communities in new and creative ways getting their dues, including @studiosamcauser SPID Theatre, Kensal House Community Rooms, as well as The Blooming Shed by Between Art and Technology (BAT) Studio – a therapeutic garden building at Chase Farm Hospital. Elsewhere in the country, we see RIBA juries rewarding the same trends towards resilience as with the flood-proof Kepax Bridge in the West Midlands by @moxonarchitects ; cutting-edge craft with Tonkin Liu’s sinuous Technology Hub: York Minster Centre of Excellence; and creative retrofit, as with Studio MUTT’s colourful Kempston Street home and workspace in Liverpool. Images: Stanton Williams, ‘UCL East Marshgate’ Photo © Hufton+Crow; Atelier Ten, ‘Space House’ Photo © Gareth Gardner; Photo © Tim Soar; Moxon, 'Kepax Bridge' Photo © Simon Kennedy

✨’A tonic for the nation!' Today marks 75 years since the opening of the Festival of Britain at London's Southbank – part of a national exhibition intended to boost the spirits of a country still reeling from the ravages of the Second World War. From 4 May 1951 visitors flocked to new buildings and spaces like the Royal Festival Hall, to discover ambitious, forward-looking design spanning architecture, furniture, urban design and textiles. Amongst the designers involved in the Festival project, were Robin and Lucienne Day, who had met at a party at the Royal College of Art and married in 1942. Robin was responsible for much of the internal seating at the Royal Festival Hall (picture 1) while Lucienne designed a number of wallpapers and textiles notably the Calyx fabric (picture 2). We try not to have favourite clients, but we were delighted to help the @robinlucienneday Foundation preserve the legacy of these two, profoundly influential designers, and help bring their extraordinary work to another generation. 📸 Robin & Lucienne Day Foundation

🎲 🏏 ♟️ Massive congratulations to @TheDavidsonPrize finalists! The theme of this year's competition, which encourages multi-disciplinary collaboration, was PLAY – the judges, @ZafirAmeen , Russ Edwards, Neil Emery and @Vicky.Spratt were joined by chair Deborah Saunt and expert advisor Dinah Bornat. Together, they selected: 🐍 🪜 No Snakes, Just Ladders - Your second stairs can do more! by @barrgazetas , @trigonfire @adamnathanielfurman and #toylikeme 🃏 PLAYDECK by @r.u.a_studio 🛝 This is Not a Road: A community-led toolkit for Play, by @artformarchitects , @CivicandSocial @CW_Studio_ , @carolynwillitts , @Made.it.Together The winner will be announced at a special ceremony on 30 June – follow @thedavidsonprize to stay up to date! This years theme got us thinking about well-designed places for urban play...and we put together a quick list of some of faves, including Sydney parks packed with places for coffee, cake and flying fox-spotting, an adventure playground in Stoke Newington, great for wild play with swings by @Arup , a new water park in Elephant & Castle by @Gillespies , a park with a view in the heart of @Haringey and a new experiment in pedestrianisation by @lambeth_council . For the full list, check out the link in our bio 🤸 📷 1. Elephant Springs @Gillespies 2. Bowling Green Street, Kennington 3. @TheDavidsonPrize judging panel

✨🇮🇹 The Caro Edit: Milan Design Week We may have said ciao ciao to Milan, but we soaked up more than just the sun last week – from standout installations to seriously collectible pieces, this year felt more immersive, expressive and material-led than ever. Swipe through to see our selection of highlights: 🟠 1-2: @preciosalighting brought Drifting Lights to life, captivating visitors with mesmerising movement and colour 🟠 3: Immersed in warm colour, the @veuveclicquo presented Chasing the Sun, an installation in collaboration with @yinka_ilori , the 'Architect of Joy' 🟠 4: Within an authentic Milanese home, Balanced Principles – Visions of Wegner by @carlhansenandson was a visual treat for lovers of design classics 🟠 5: At Interni, @vitrabathrooms and @snohetta presented the Ceramics Forged in Light installation, exploring how material can be shaped and reimagined through circular design 🟠 6: @deoron unveiled a space where sound, light and objects met with a curation of creative designers 🟠 7: At Triennale Milano, an insightful panel discussion was held within the exhibition 'The Eames Houses by @eamesfoundation @eamesoffice . Speakers: @aricchen @zahahadidfoundation , Sharon Johnstone @johnstonmarklee , and Manvendra Singh Shekhawat @dhun_jaipur 🟠 8: Turning forgotten, inaccessible spaces into the most talked-about stages for design – @alcova.milano hosted the work of 131 emerging designers from around the world inside a modernist villa and at the Baggio Military Hospital, a historic complex designed post WW1 🟠 9: Marking a new chapter for the Milanese atelier @fornasetti , Forever Fornasetti: New Encounters saw the store reimagined by @tuttobenestudio . We loved the new rugs designed in collaboration with @cc_tapis 🟠 10: In the heart of @breradesigndistrict , @micheledelucchi (@amdlcircle ) and @unifor_official (@molteniandc ) merged architectural research with industrial production in @door_repubblica ’s Il Giardino delle Meraviglie – a secret garden built around The Missing Ring

A very special afternoon in Liverpool with the team from @niallmclaughlinarchitects to celebrate the opening of their new exhibition, Immersions, at @RIBA North, in Liverpool. Commissioned to celebrate Niall as the recipient of the 2026 Royal Gold Medal, the exhibition explores the practice’s approach to architecture – one defined by a deep sensitivity to place, material, craft, light and form. Hot on the heels of winning the Gold Medal, NMLA announced it had won a competition to design a major new cathedral in Sydney (head to @niallmclaughlinarchitects for more info) - so our trip to Liverpool had to include a visit to Frederick Gibberd’s masterful scheme as well - we were lucky to stumble upon The Sixteen Choir in rehearsal ahead of their performance that evening. Immersion is open from today until 7 June and is free to visit. 📷 3,4 and 5 © Sophie Percival @studio.s.p

Another very exciting announcement from our friends at @niallmclaughlinarchitects – this time broadcast from Australian, as Niall gave the Rothwell Public Lecture at the University of Sydney. Hot on the heels of winning the RIBA Gold Medal and announcing a major new museum project in Jordan (scroll back a few posts for more on that one), the practice has been appointed to design a new Catholic Cathedral for the Diocese of Broken Bay, in New South Wales. The Cathedral Precinct Project will function as a centerpoint for spiritual, civic and cultural life for the Diocese, and the design highlights highlights responsible, sustainable materials to complement the natural setting. Next week, we're off to Liverpool for the launch of Níall McLaughlin's @RIBA Royal Gold Medal exhibition at @ribanorthwest – more info about that via the link in our bio.

💭 We are looking for an ambitious senior account manager or account director to join our fun, friendly and focused team in Clerkenwell. You will be a strategic communicator with excellent leadership skills and experience working in architecture, design, and placemaking. At Caro you will be working on a diverse and exciting range of projects for clients a in the UK and internationally. Interested? Click the link in our bio to find out more and apply.

🐑 The new Sheep Field Barn by @DSDHA_Architecture at @HenryMooreStudios & Gardens is now open. Inspired by the landscape that Moore worked from, DSDHA has transformed the barn to provide new learning and engagement facilities including new workshop and making spaces for students and visitors. Meanwhile, enhanced gallery spaces accommodate large-scale works, and host the first-ever permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Henry Moore at the location of the Studios & Gardens. Guided by principles of regenerative design and Henry Moore’s own ethos of frugality, DSDHA’s sensitive extension and renovation of the barn sets a benchmark for low-carbon gallery environments - with details ranging from the reuse of the existing barn’s cladding to walls lined with sheep’s wool insulation. Writing in @TheObserverUK , Rowan Moore described the projects as a means of 'honouring the artist's spirit of modesty and devotion to play and learning'. Visit @DSDHA_Architecture to find out more about the project. 📷 @clickclickjim

Today marks a huge milestone for our client @Latimer , development arm of Clarion Housing Group, as planning has now been submitted for the @TCB_Garden_Community_ , a major new community in north Essex designed to support future generations. The Garden Community is set to deliver: ➺ 7,750 high-quality new homes, with 30% delivered as affordable homes comprising affordable rent, social rent and shared ownership ➺ 3 walkable neighbourhoods including schools, a civic centre and a new public transport system ➺ 6,000+ full-time jobs for the local community ➺ Over 50% open space, 30km of mature hedgerows retained, and a 60ha country park As master developer, Latimer brings together a pioneering consultant design team of leading masterplanners, architects, landscape architects, and experts in regenerative and inclusive design championing architectural excellence, and pioneering regenerative design at scale. We can’t wait to share more on this project, and to be a part of the conversations it sparks ⚡️ @haworthtompkins @kjellander_sjoberg @grounded_practice @periscope_uk @arupgroup Exploration Architecture @jasbhallaworks @bellphillipsarc @hat_projects 📷 Beautiful images produced by Robin Farmer, Associate at Haworth Tompkins

Hold the front page! Secure Sanand, an industrial campus in Gujarat, India, designed by @studiosaar.design for Secure Meters, is on the cover of @arch_today and featured inside amongst other standout of winners of Architecture Today's Test of Time Awards. Purpose-built and future-focused, Secure Sanand combines state-of-the-art facilities with a people-first approach, creating an uplifting work environment that champions staff wellbeing while reducing energy consumption. It's a testament to the vision and hard work of everyone involved in bringing this landmark campus to life. 📷 © Images 3-4: Ankit Jain

✨ Lights, Milan, action! @isaloniofficial marks a defining moment in the global design calendar. This year, we're excited to be working with Czech brand @preciosalighting again to bring Drifting Lights, its latest Signature Design, to the world’s most sought-after design event. The immersive, large-scale, eponymous installation will explore how light, colour and movement can express the broad spectrum of human emotion from the heart of @breradesigndistrict . We hope to see you there! 📍🇮🇹 Drifting Lights by Preciosa, Tempesta Art Gallery, Foro Bonaparte 68, Milano. Open to the public 20-26 April and by invitation only on 22 April. 👉 Swipe left to see the impressive visualisation demonstrating how 60 bubbled glass panels will come alive under Preciosa's exclusive 3D patch light effect, creating a multi-sensory experience for visitors to enjoy. Exhibiting in Milan this year? Get in touch with us to discuss on-site support.

A multi-disciplinary team, led by @niallmclaughlinarchitects , has been announced as the winner of an international competition for a new Museum of Jesus’ Baptism at Bethany, Jordan. The winning team includes @engicon_contracting_co , @KimWilkieLandscape , @NissenRichardsStudio , @StudioZNA and @ArupGroup . The Advisory Panel of the competition, run by @malcolmreadingconsultants , commended the winning concept for its ‘flair for multi-layered and immersive storytelling that focuses on communicating baptism’s power to offer spiritual renewal and new life.’ The new museum will take visitors on an east-west journey, descending into the earth from an arid wilderness garden, through a rift filled with water, and reemerging into the light and a fruitful paradise garden.