Eight winners include college buildings and country houses

The Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre, Worcester College, Oxford, by Niall McLaughlin Architects (phs: Nick Kane, Keith Barnes)
“A building of extraordinary elegance… It is the natural materials, superbly honed, that ground the building and make it belong. It is the architectural design – the timeless pursuit of ordering space and light and form – that makes it a thing of pure joy. ”

Thames Tower, Reading, by DN-A Architects (phs: Jack Hobhouse)
“A model of restraint and refinement. The form is a simple cuboid, imbued with gravitas by the weighty terracotta cladding.  The windows start tall and then get taller towards the top. The facades are smooth and unfussy and carefully composed in detail and proportion.  The whole thing is an object lesson in the virtue of studied simplicity.”

Pheasants, Buckinghamshire, by Sarah Griffiths and Amin Taha (phs: Tim Soar)
“This house is an extraordinary achievement both by the clients and by the architects. The design takes cues from history in its use of water, its axial sidesteps and the relationship between house and outhouse. Then it radically reframes these ideas in a wholly new and unique manner: it’s uncompromising and uplifting.”

New Library, Queen’s College, Oxford, by MICA Architects (phs: Jim Stephenson)
“It is most impressive that, at the end of this project, there is no hint of compromise to the Listed buildings or to their setting. The old parts have scrubbed up nicely, and the few new elements which are visible feel right and good.”

Hubert Perrodo Building, St Peter’s College, Oxford, by Design Engine Architects (phs: Richard James, Edmund Blok)
“Small but perfectly formed. Designed to look as if it is simply sitting upon the paving at the end of the college quad, it feels like a piece of exquisitely crafted furniture.”

Canoe Lake Leisure Tennis Pavilion, Southsea, Hampshire, by PAD Studio (phs: Nigel Rigden, Richard Chivers)
“This pavilion is a true local success story, enjoyed, loved, over-subscribed, and even the vandals seem to respect it too. It is a bright beacon of philanthropy and excellent design in this seaside town.”

Berkshire House, by Gregory Phillips Architects (phs: Mel Yates)
“A pristine and immaculate exemplar of the early-twenty-first-century modern house style. With every detail finely honed and every facade carefully composed, the house is a shining example of carefully-considered, painstakingly-crafted architecture. ”

Big Data Institute, Oxford, by Make Architects (phs: Martina Ferrara)
“A truly innovative building in its sustainable ventilation system but also an exemplary building in the standard of working environment it achieves for the researchers within… This is a grown-up, understated workplace distinguished by the level of calm thoughtfulness that permeates every aspect of the design. It’s quietly excellent.”