Askham Bryan College wins best non-residential building at the York Design Awards 2026 for their Teaching Block

Askham Bryan College wins best non-residential building at the York Design Awards 2026, held at York Racecourse, for their Teaching Block refurbishment.

Opened in January 2025, the college was awarded a government grant of over £1 million to refurbish and develop their Teaching Block in preparation for the delivery of T Levels. Askham Bryan College further spent over £2.6 million in order to complete the project.

The building also houses their Tractor and Racing Simulator, a micro farm, teaching classrooms, offices and digital suites.

Gordon Bovill, Estates Project Manager at Askham Bryan College “I’m incredibly proud to have been part of an outstanding project team, working alongside College stakeholders, Evans McDowall Architects, Lindum York and Aspect 4. Together, we transformed a building that was in poor repair and had reached the end of its economic life into a state-of-the-art learning environment.

While a strong case could have been made for demolishing and rebuilding the Teaching Block, the College is committed to reducing its carbon footprint wherever possible. By choosing refurbishment over replacement, we have successfully retained and repurposed the existing structure while incorporating modern, energy-efficient technologies that significantly reduce operational carbon emissions.

The completed refurbishment exceeded our expectations and has created a building that reflects the College’s culture of high aspiration, achievement and sustainability. To receive the York Design Award for the Non-Residential category is a fantastic recognition of the dedication, expertise and collaboration shown by everyone involved. It is the icing on the cake for the whole team.”