Greater Cambridge Design & Construction Awards: Nominations Now Open
The Greater Cambridge Design and Construction Awards are now open for nominations, celebrating projects that demonstrate high standards of design, construction, sustainability, and care for place across Greater Cambridge.
The awards, run by the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service and Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry, recognise excellence across the built environment, from new buildings and public spaces to conservation, restoration, and sensitive adaptation. They offer an opportunity to highlight work that responds thoughtfully to its setting and contributes positively to the character of Cambridge and its surrounding villages.
Why these awards matter
Cambridge is undergoing significant change. As new development reshapes the city and region, questions of design quality, long-term impact, and sense of place are increasingly important.
These awards help reinforce what good design looks like in practice, recognising projects that balance function, context, and ambition, and setting a benchmark for future development.
Award categories
Projects can be entered across a range of categories, including:
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Conservation and restoration
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New buildings (residential, commercial, community, or civic)
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Alterations and extensions
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Sustainability and construction quality
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Public realm and placemaking
Full category details, eligibility criteria, and guidance on how to enter are available on the awards website HERE.
A recent local example
Last year, we entered Bourn Windmill into the awards and were shortlisted and named runner-up in the Conservation and Restoration category.
The nomination recognised a careful programme of conservation and repair that focused on long-term protection of the structure while respecting its historic fabric and setting. The work demonstrated how heritage assets can be sensitively maintained and brought forward for future generations, without over-restoration or loss of character.
Its shortlisting highlighted the kind of considered, place-specific approach the awards seek to recognise, where design and construction decisions are guided by context, craftsmanship, and restraint.
How to enter
Nominations and applications are submitted directly to the awards organisers. The application process involves providing detailed information about the project, including its design approach, construction, and outcomes.
👉 Full details on how to enter, deadlines, and assessment criteria can be found HERE:
Encouraging good design
Whether you’re an architect, developer, client, or part of a project team, these awards are an opportunity to share work that demonstrates care, quality, and long-term thinking in the built environment.
By celebrating good design, we help reinforce higher standards and support a future Greater Cambridge shaped by thoughtful, well-designed places.
