AHR shortlisted for Architectural Practice of the Year at Insider West Midlands Property Awards

AHR has been shortlisted for Architectural Practice of the Year at the Insider West Midlands Property Awards 2026, the practice announced on 30 October, citing the work of its Birmingham and Shrewsbury teams.

AHR said the winners would be announced on Thursday 12 November at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.

The practice has appeared on the shortlist before. In October 2024 AHR was shortlisted at the same awards for both Architectural Practice of the Year and Commercial Development of the Year.

The practice said its two Midlands offices work across 11 sectors, including healthcare, education, residential and civic design. Its 2024 shortlisting post had described the team's expertise as spanning ten sectors.

The projects cited

AHR pointed to recent work with Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools and the Station Quarter regeneration in Telford.

Gareth Banks, Director at AHR, said of the hospital work: "The result is a design that will help make workflows smoother, build resilient, future ready healthcare environments and improve the experiences and wellbeing of both patients and staff."

The SaTH scheme, known as the Hospitals Transformation Programme, covers two sites, Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital in Shrewsbury, AHR said. Princess Royal will become the planned care site, housing the Urgent Treatment Centre and Surgical Centre, while Royal Shrewsbury will house the Emergency Department, Critical Care Unit and Women and Children's services.

The trust said Royal Shrewsbury Hospital will become the site specialising in emergency care, with Princess Royal specialising in planned care.

According to SaTH, it signed a design and build contract with Integrated Health Projects (IHP), a joint venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine, procured through the P23 framework. The works include a new four-storey building near the former Outpatients entrance at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, which the trust expects to be completed and operational in 2028.

AHR marked the topping out of the new ward block in a news item posted on 6 January 2026.

Queensway Academy

In education, AHR highlighted Queensway Academy, a new specialist school developed for the Learning Community Trust for pupils aged 11 to 16 with SEND, including social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. The practice's announcement places the school in Shropshire; its project page gives the location as Telford.

AHR's project page says the school provides 68 pupil spaces for SEMH, shares facilities with the existing Queensway North School site and is arranged around a central courtyard.

Clive Breese, Director at AHR, said: "Sensory-informed classrooms, secure outdoor learning and accessible facilities create the calm, structured environment the DfE sees as a benchmark for future SEND projects nationally."

Station Quarter and the Eternal Wall

AHR said its Station Quarter masterplan delivers 84 new homes, a mix of low-carbon apartments and townhouses for private rent. The practice developed the masterplan and architectural design with Telford and Wrekin Council.

The announcement also cited a visitor centre AHR is designing for the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer in Birmingham. The practice said the building has a green roof and earthy materials to help it sit within the landscape. Simon Lamprell, Director at AHR, said the project demanded a deeply considered, design-led approach.

The practice

AHR traces its history to 1835 and works across nine UK offices, according to its website.

The winners are due to be named on 12 November.