They asked for 80 homes – she gave them 157! Council-housing miracle named Britain’s best new building
Rising from bluebell woodlands and framed by rolling hills, this cluster of pink and brown brick towers in Croydon is a bittersweet winner of the prestigious RIBA Stirling prize If Andy Burnham is looking for inspiration for his great “council housebuilding comeback”, he would do well to visit Croydon. There, nestled into a steeply sloping site, sheltered by a canopy of mature trees, stands a cluster of crystalline…
Key points
- Lion Green Road in Coulsdon, Croydon, won the 2025 RIBA Stirling Prize.
- The council housing project provides 157 homes, exceeding the original brief of 80.
- It is only the second council housing scheme to win the prize, after Goldsmith Street in 2019.
A council housing development in Coulsdon, Croydon, has been named the UK's best new building, winning the 2025 RIBA Stirling Prize. Lion Green Road, designed by Mary Duggan Architects with Ruff Architects, was praised for its quality and innovative design.
The project provides 157 homes on a steeply sloping site, arranged in five pink and brown brick towers. It was commissioned by Croydon council's housebuilding company, Brick by Brick, which was halted in 2020 when the council went bankrupt.
Design and layout
The development retains mature trees and bluebell woodland, with a public route winding through the site. Each flat is dual aspect, with inset loggia balconies, and the five towers share a star-shaped plan but are rotated to reduce overlooking.
Half of the homes are private rental in two towers, while half are affordable in three council-retained blocks, rented at local housing allowance rates. The project was built for £2,500 per square metre, the cheapest on the shortlist.
Lion Green Road shows that density can be achieved without compromising the quality of the places we create.
— Chris Williamson
Reaction and challenges
RIBA president Chris Williamson said, "Lion Green Road shows that density can be achieved without compromising the quality of the places we create." The original planning application in 2017 received 257 objections, mostly about parking loss.
Brick by Brick built 751 homes, over half affordable, before its collapse due to financial issues. The project's architect, Mary Duggan, said the council treated land as "a genuinely public asset" rather than a commodity.
