Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)’s green office retrofit, the Entopia Building, has won ‘Collaboration of the Year’ at the Architects’ Journal (AJ) 100 Awards 2023.
The AJ100 Awards celebrate the achievements of the UK’s largest architecture practices, including those leading the way on sustainability.
The Entopia Building is an energy efficient, sustainable retrofit. What used to be a 1930s telephone exchange is now a world-leading example of ‘deep green’ retrofit, aiming for BREEAM certification (Outstanding), the Passivhaus 'EnerPHit' standard and WELL (Gold) certification.
The collaboration award brings together numerous firms that worked together on Entopia. Architype led the architecture, alongside Peter Kelly at contractor ISG, interior designer Eve Waldron and others. Entopia project partners include 3pm, Architype, BDP, Envision, Eve Waldron Design, Feilden and Mawson, Gardiner & Theobald, ISG and Max Fordham.
The judges, Wolfgang Buttress, artist, Wolfgang Buttress Studio, Teri Okoro, director, TOCA, Clare Richards, founding director, Footwork, Kieron Taylor, design director, AKT II said: "They used a proper process, where you have a project charter. The whole team had buy-in with that. It was a golden thread that ran through right from the start and everybody put in that effort to deliver it well. Then there’s the study of the process, the open book approach, so people could learn from every stage. It’s a really powerful approach to retrofit."
Anna Nitch-Smith, chief operating officer, CISL said: "We are over the moon to hear that the Entopia building has won ‘Collaboration of the Year’ at the AJ100 Awards. Entopia is not just a building, it's CISL's sustainability retrofitted HQ, business hub, and a happy, healthy home for all our staff. The success of the project is down to many partners in the value chain, who committed to a shared vision and cooperative ethos. The process was – and still is - truly collaborative."