2023 EAA Awards for Architecture

BUILDING OF THE YEAR

WINNER

HOLMES MILLER

TRINITY ACADEMY SPORTS CAMPUS

JUDGES COMMENTS

“This building is not only a sports hall for the local secondary school but is also a rugby club, a base for local outdoors group and a community leisure centre. This example of collaboration between different groups to make the best use of a building results in a hardworking project that provides a solution to many problems. The architects have handled this in an exemplary way, the plan is finely tuned and well considered, handling the complexities of the requirements of many different stakeholders with self-assurance. 

The external appearance of the building is highly impressive, the elegant single storey brick façade faces the entrance to the site – this provides a welcoming approach to the building.  The single storey element facing the rugby pitch becomes a covered colonnade – providing a threshold between the rugby club house and the rugby pitch for watching matches in the rain. The height required for the larger spaces is handled delicately – the double height polycarbonate sections are set back from the public elevations and their translucency makes them appear delicate, helping the building to settle into its mature context.  

The architects have navigated the potential challenges of an urban site and multiple stakeholders to create a piece of architecture that ultimately does set an example of using resources to benefit the greater good.”