City of York Council’s first Passivhaus development at Duncombe Square has won three awards at the York Design Awards 2026.
Lowfield Green has also won a Commendation in the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) 2026 awards.
Winners of the York Design Awards were announced on Tuesday 7 July, and are for developments which aim to elevate standards of architectural design in York. Winning three different categories was Duncombe Square in Clifton. This development has 34 high-quality, Passivhaus-certified homes, which local residents helped design with architects Mikhail Riches.
Duncombe Square won:
- The Sustainability Award. The Council was praised for embracing net-zero standards as well as integrating sustainable travel options and biodiversity into the scheme.
- The Multi-residential Award is for projects of more than one home. Duncombe Square won one of two awards in this category for the high-quality design, the mix of private and public spaces and the central green area.
- Lord Mayor’s Award, recognises an outstanding project, and was presented by The Lord Mayor of York herself.
At the RTPI awards on Thursday 2 July, the Council’s Lowfield Green development in Acomb won a Commendation. This was for the Best Homes and Communities Scheme category for the Yorkshire Awards for Planning Excellence.
Cllr Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing at City of York Council, said:
Our Housing Delivery Programme has been ambitious from the get-go, and these awards recognise the vision and quality of the housing being created in York to meet residents’ needs and budgets. I’ve watched Duncombe be built and have seen how modern building techniques can produce exceptional homes and transform lives.”
Sophie Coles, architect at Mikhail Riches who designed Duncombe Square with input from local residents, said:
We are thrilled to see Duncombe Square recognised with three wins at the York Design Awards.
“City of York Council's Housing Delivery Programme has delivered some of the UK's best and most sustainable homes. Congratulations to our clients and the entire project team, whose ambition, collaboration and dedication made these wonderful homes possible. Duncombe Square is a net-zero, child-friendly, green and biodiverse neighbourhood that sets a benchmark for sustainable development.”
The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Margaret Wells, said:
Duncombe Square provides much-needed homes for social tenants and lower income households. Being zero-carbon in use is resulting in low bills for residents, whilst tackling climate change.
“The high-quality design is exceptional in terms of working well with the local area, blending the open and private outdoor spaces and creating innovative, liveable spaces.”
Find out more about:
- Duncombe Square at https://www.shapehomesyork.com/DuncombeSquare
- the York Design Awards at https://www.yorkdesignawards.org/ .