LATEST: Celebrating Hill & Smith's 200 year anniversary  Read more

2023 SSDA winners announced

(Detail from Copr Bay Bridge)

The 55th Structural Steel Design Awards recently took place in London, where the much-anticipated project winners were announced and applauded. The 2023 SSDA Awards were open to steel-based structures situated in the United Kingdom or overseas built by UK or Irish steelwork contractors. Once more, the submitted projects displayed exceptional quality, celebrating structural steelwork at its finest.

Jointly sponsored by the British Constructional Steelwork Association and Steel for Life, this event was a magnificent celebration of steel’s manifold virtues, encompassing cost-effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and aesthetic appeal.

Five outstanding champions emerged triumphant from a meticulously curated shortlist of contenders. Six projects also received commendations, and three received merits.

Commendations went to:

  • Tropical Fruit Warehouse, Dublin
  • Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour
  • The Outernet, London
  • Clery’s Quarter, Dublin
  • SAS13 Bridge Replacement, Birmingham
  • Montacute Yards, London

Merits went to:

  • Shipbuilders of Port Glasgow
  • New Riverside Stand at Fulham FC
  • Cody Dock Bridge, London

According to the BCSA website, Chairman of the Judges, Professor Roger Plank said: “The awards, commendations, merits and national finalists recognised in the Structural Steel Design Awards this year reflect the impressive quality of the current steel construction industry, and everyone involved should be proud of what has been achieved.”

Click here to read about each winner.

Congratulations to the winners and everyone who took part.

(Photo of Battersea Power Station by Edson Rosas on Unsplash / Award night photos provided by Steel for Life)

Next page

We are pleased to unveil the highly anticipated shortlisted entries for this year’s prestigious RIDBA Building Awards. These awards, which occur biennially, honour achievements in rural and industrial building design and fabrication. As an added source of excitement, we are proud to mention that our parent company, the Joseph Ash Group, is a premium sponsor for this event.

There are eight award categories in total, and the shortlist for each category is as follows:

Product or service

Pig Lift

Farm storage

General purpose building

Livestock

West Midlands Safari Park

Commercial

Roundhouse Play Area
  • CJ Cox Limited New Workshop, Rose Engineering
  • Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Station, A.C. Bacon Engineering
  • Franks Ice Cream, Shufflebottom
  • Tong Engineering, Timmins Engineering
  • Roundhouse Play Area, S&A Fabrications (photo from S&A Fabrications)
  • Morgan Sindall Merthyr Bus Station, Shufflebottom

Residential and offices

The Property Hub
  • Luxury residential property in Poulton-le-Fylde, Wareing Buildings
  • Island estates, Shufflebottom
  • The Property Hub, M D Anthony (photo from M D Anthony)
  • Luda barns, Timmins Engineering

Industrial and production

Smart Systems Shufflebottom
  • Dawson’s Wharf pellet bund, S&A Fabrications
  • Cropper Close, Henco International, Wareing Buildings
  • Graham & Brown, Wareing Buildings
  • McMurrays Haulage, Wareing Buildings
  • Bacton Transport, M D Anthony
  • Smart Systems, Shufflebottom (photo from Shufflebottom)

Prizes will also be handed out for outstanding workmanship and training.

Please mark your calendars for Friday, 22 September, when we’ll gather in Cambridge to congratulate the winners and runners-up.

Please contact RIDBA directly for ticket enquiries.

Next page

Submit your entries by 31 March 2023

The RIDBA Building Awards is taking place again in 2023, and the deadline to submit your entries is 31 March 2023. If you have a building project you’re proud of and would like to enter, submit your entries by the deadline for your chance to win.

There are several categories to enter, including

Commercial Award

Farm Storage Award

Industrial and Production Awards

Livestock Award

New Product or Service Award

Outstanding Workmanship Award

Residential and Offices Award

Training Award

The RIDBA Building Awards ceremony will take place in Cambridge on 22 September 2023 and the Joseph Ash Group (our parent company) is proud to be a Premium Sponsor.

The photo above is the Wharton Cattle Shed in Lincolnshire by S&A Fabrications, winner of the Livestock Award.

The photo below is Lingwood House, the RIDBA Overall Winner of 2021, constructed by M D Anthony Ltd.

Will your project be a winner?

Visit the RIDBA website for further details.

Next page

The Structural Steel Design Awards (SSDA) is happening again this year, and the deadline for entries is fast approaching. 2023 is the 55th anniversary of the Awards so it’s set to be a big year.

The event will once again be celebrating the excellence of steel construction in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

If you have a steel design project that you are proud of, enter the Structural Steel Design Awards 2023 this coming week. The deadline for entries is Friday 24 February so now is the time.

You can view last year’s shortlist and award winners here.

Find out more information and the entry criteria here.

Esperance Bridge, Kings Cross
Esperance Bridge, Kings Cross – 2022 award winner

Next page
Esperence Bridge, London – received an Award

The Structural Steel Design Awards (SSDA) recently took place in London. The event is a celebration of the best steel construction in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, where the judges award companies and individuals who demonstrate steel’s potential regarding sustainability, innovation, cost-effectiveness, and aesthetics.

This year’s Award winners are:

1 Triton Square, London
Architect – Arup Associates
Structural engineer – Arup
Steelwork contractor – William Hare
Main contractor – Lendlease
Client – British Land

Bombardier Maintenance Hangar, Biggin Hill
Architect – Civils Contracting Ltd
Structural engineer – REIDsteel
Steelwork contractor – REIDsteel
Main contractor – Civils Contracting Ltd
Client – Biggin Hill Airport Development Ltd

Tower of Light, Manchester
Architect – Tonkin Liu
Structural engineer – Arup
Main contractor – Vital Energi
Client – Manchester City Council

Lords Cricket Ground, Compton & Edrich Stand Redevelopment
Architect – WilkinsonEyre
Structural engineer – Buro Happold
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – ISG Construction
Client – Marylebone Cricket Club

Esperence Bridge, King’s Cross, London
Architect – Moxon Architects
Structural engineer – Arup
Steelwork contractor – S H Structures Ltd
Main contractor – Galldris
Client – Argent

Commendations went to:

One Braham Place, London
Architect – WilkinsonEyre
Structural engineer – Arup
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – McLaughlin & Harvey
Client – Aldgate Developments

Central Atrium Hilltop, RHS Wisley
Architect – WilkinsonEyre
Structural engineer – Michael Barclay Partnership LLP
Steelwork contractor – Hillcrest Structural Ltd
Main contractor – Osborne Ltd
Client – Royal Horticultural Society

Fire Station Auditorium, Sunderland
Architect – Flanagan Lawrence, Howarth Litchfield
Structural engineer – JC Consulting
Steelwork contractor – Brims Construction Ltd
Client – The Sunderland Music, Arts & Culture Trust

One Crown Place, London
Architect – KPF
Structural engineer – AKT II
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – Mace
Client – AlloyMtd

Brittania Leisure Centre, Hackney, London
Architect – Faulknerbrowns Architects
Structural engineer – Buro Happold
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – Morgan Sindall Construction
Client – Hackney Council

Assembly Bristol Building A
Architect – Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Structural engineer – Arup
Steelwork contractor – Severfield 
Main contractor – Galliford Try
Client – Bell Hammer

One Braham Place, London – received a Commendation

Merits went to:

Hydro Ness, Inverness
Architect – Leslie Hutt Architect
Structural engineer – Hasson Engineering Solutions
Steelwork contractor – M. Hasson and Sons Ltd
Main contractor – Bradley and Company, Hydro NI
Client – Highland Council

LCT 7074 Canopy, The D-Day Story, Portsmouth
Architect – Pritchard Architecture
Structural engineer – Mann Williams
Steelwork contractor – Hillcrest Structural Ltd
Main contractor – Ascia Construction Ltd
Client – The National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth City Council

Houlton School, Rugby
Architect – Van Heyningen and Haward Architects
Structural engineer – Price & Myers
Steelwork contractor – Mifflin Construction Ltd
Main contractor – Morgan Sindall Construction
Client – Urban & Civic plc

Pace Gallery, Hanover Square, London
Architect – Jamie Fobert Architects
Structural engineer – Price & Myers
Main contractor – QOB Interiors
Client – Pace Gallery

The Structural Steel Design Awards are sponsored by the British Constructional Steelwork Association and Trimble Solutions (UK) Ltd.

To take part in next year’s awards, submit your entries by Friday 24 February 2023.

Next page

Save the date for Thursday 20 October 2022

In conjunction with the Galvanizers Association, we will host an Open Day at our Premier Galvanizing Hull plant.

Would you like to attend to see how we operate? If so, book a tour today.

  • Watch how steel is dipped into zinc in the galvanizing baths to protect it from rust and corrosion
  • Find out about the sustainability of galvanized steel and how it fits into the circular economy
  • Meet our team members and ask any questions you have about hot dip galvanizing, shot blasting, powder coating and steel protection.
  • Talk to our technical teams for advice on designing steel for galvanizing.

If you’re unable to attend the Open Day at Hull, our sister Joseph Ash plants (at Chesterfield and Telford) will also be taking part.

Please get in touch if you’d like more information.

Next page

The Structural Steel Design Association (SSDA) has recently announced the shortlist for the 2022 Awards. Have you made the list?

The Structural Steel Design Awards – held every year – celebrates the best-of-the-best in steel construction in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Sponsored by the British Constructional Steelwork Association and Trimble Solutions (UK) Ltd, the event awards companies and individuals who demonstrate the potential of steel with regards to cost-effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and aesthetics.

The Awards will take place on 29 September 2022 at an evening reception in London.

The 20 diverse shortlisted entries have been announced. Here’s who made the list:

One Braham Place, London
Architect – WilkinsonEyre
Structural engineer – Arup
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – McLaughlin & Harvey
Client – Aldgate Developments

Abbey Chesterton Bridge, Cambridge
Architect – Knight Architects
Structural engineer – Milestone Infrastructure
Steelwork contractor – S H Structures Ltd
Main contractor – Tarmac
Client – Cambridgeshire County Council

Assembly Bristol Building A
Architect – Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Structural engineer – Arup
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – Galliford Try
Client – Bell Hammer

Central Atrium Hilltop, RHS Wisley
Architect – WilkinsonEyre
Structural engineer – Michael Barclay Partnership LLP
Steelwork contractor – Hillcrest Structural Ltd
Main contractor – Osborne Ltd
Client – Royal Horticultural Society

Bombardier Maintenance Hangar, Biggin Hill
Architect – Civils Contracting Ltd
Structural engineer – REIDsteel
Steelwork contractor – REIDsteel
Main contractor – Civils Contracting Ltd
Client – Biggin Hill Airport Development Ltd

Bloom, Clerkenwell, London
Architect – John Roberston Architects Ltd
Structural engineer – Buro Happold
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – HB Reavis UK Ltd
Client – HB Reavis UK Ltd

1 Triton Square, London
Architect – Arup Associates
Structural engineer – Arup
Steelwork contractor – William Hare
Main contractor – Lendlease
Client – British Land 

Fire Station Auditorium, Sunderland
Architect – Flanagan Lawrence, Howarth Litchfield
Structural engineer – JC Consulting
Steelwork contractor – Brims Construction Ltd
Client – The Sunderland Music, Arts & Culture Trust

Joules Head Office, Market Harborough
Architect – Edge
Structural engineer – Cundall
Steelwork contractor – Bailey Construction Ltd
Client – Joules

Houlton School, Rugby
Architect – Van Heyningen and Haward Architects
Structural engineer – Price & Myers
Steelwork contractor – Mifflin Construction Ltd
Main contractor – Morgan Sindall Construction
Client – Urban & Civic plc

Esperence Bridge, King’s Cross, London
Architect – Moxon Architects
Structural engineer – Arup
Steelwork contractor – S H Structures Ltd
Main contractor – Galldris
Client – Argent

Hydro Ness, Inverness
Architect – Leslie Hutt Architect
Structural engineer – Hasson Engineering Solutions
Steelwork contractor – M. Hasson and Sons Ltd
Main contractor – Bradley and Company, Hydro NI
Client – Highland Council

Lords Cricket Ground, Compton & Edrich Stand Redevelopment
Architect – WilkinsonEyre
Structural engineer – Buro Happold
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – ISG Construction
Client – Marylebone Cricket Club

LCT 7074 Canopy, The D-Day Story, Portsmouth
Architect – Pritchard Architecture
Structural engineer – Mann Williams
Steelwork contractor – Hillcrest Structural Ltd
Main contractor – Ascia Construction Ltd
Client – The National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth City Council

Tower of Light, Manchester
Architect – Tonkin Liu
Structural engineer – Arup
Main contractor – Vital Energi
Client – Manchester City Council

One Crown Place, London
Architect – KPF
Structural engineer – AKT II
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – Mace
Client – AlloyMtd

St. James Quarter, Edinburgh
Architect – BDP
Structural engineer – Arup
Steelwork contractor – BHC Ltd
Main contractor – Laing O’Rourke
Client – Nuveen

Pace Gallery, Hanover Square, London
Architect – Jamie Fobert Architects
Structural engineer – Price & Myers
Main contractor – QOB Interiors
Client – Pace Gallery

Brittania Leisure Centre, Hackney, London
Architect – Faulknerbrowns Architects
Structural engineer – Buro Happold
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – Morgan Sindall Construction
Client – Hackney Council

22 Bishopsgate, London
Architect – PLP Architecture
Structural engineer – WSP
Steelwork contractor – Severfield
Main contractor – Multiplex
Client – Lipton Rogers Developments

The Glassworks, Barnsley
Architect – IBI Group
Structural engineer – Adept Civil and Structural Consulting Engineers
Steelwork contractor – Billington Structures Ltd
Main contractor – Henry Boot Construction Ltd
Client – Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Good luck to all the shortlist entries!

To see last year’s winners, click here.

Next page

The annual Galvanizer’s Association Galvanizing Awards (affectionately known as the GAGAs) took place last Friday, 1 July. It was a great afternooon!

The GAGAs celebrate the use of galvanizing in architecture and art.

The winners of the 2022 Annual GAGAs – who all received a highly coveted GA oil can – are as follows:


Architecture Award

The Architecture Award celebrates the most innovative and effective use of galvanized steelwork in architectural projects. This year’s Architecture Award went to two joint winners:

The C1 Design District, London, by Architecture 00, and Surrey Docks Farm by PUP Architects.


Sustainable Award

The Sustainable Award celebrates projects where galvanized steel is used mainly for its ecological benefits, which are clearly reflected within the project’s description and the philosophy behind it.

Flimwell Park in East Sussex by Architecture Ensemble won this year’s Sustainable Award.


Engineering Award

The Engineering Award celebrates the most innovative and effective use of galvanized steelwork, but with special attention paid to structural functionality and industrial use of galvanized steel.

The Swing Bridge by Tonkin Liu is this year’s Engineering Award winner.


Duplex Award

The Duplex Award takes into consideration projects that use galvanized steel coated with any of the organic coatings i.e. wet paints, powder coating etc. As with the architecture and engineering awards, it includes all sizes of project and the functionality as well as the aesthetics of the structure will be of interest. 

This year’s Duplex Award was won by GK Engineering for Goodluck Hope Building.


Detail Award

The Detail Award is granted to projects that display interesting and innovative uses of galvanized steel in elements that are not the main part of a structure. But form a detail, which supports the overall functionality and aesthetics of the architectural or engineering project.

This year’s winner of the Detail Award is Thomas Randall-Page for Art Barn.

The Highly Commended Detail Award went to Nick Hill Architects for Notting Hill Garden House.


Art Award

The Art Award is awarded to the most compelling use of galvanized steelwork in contemporary art and the built environment.

This year’s winner of the Art Award is Katie Ventress Artist Blacksmith for The Boulby Miner.


Special Mention

Finally, this year’s Special Mention in Architecture Award went to Nissen Richards Studio for Sutton Hoo.

The judging panel for the 2022 GAGAs consisted of Matthew Wells (Techniker), Isabelle Priest (RIBA Journal), Jack Broad (Carmody Groarke), and Iqbal Johal (Galvanizers Association).

Congratulations to all the 2022 winners, and shortlisted entries!

Next page

Next week (Friday 1 July) sees the return of the annual Galvanizing Association Galvanizers Awards (GAGAs). We’re looking forward to it, especially as it’s a face-to-face event again.

Some amazing entries have made the shortlist, and we’re proud that some of the projects have been hot dip galvanized by Premier Galvanizing and Joseph Ash Galvanizing: The Whitby Trail by Emma Stothard Sculpture, the Swing Bridge by Tonkin Liu and Cake Industries, Nest by Ian Gill Sculpture, and The Hothouse by Cake Industries.

Whitby Walk Heritage Sculptures by Emma Stothard Hot Dip Galvanized by Premier Galvanizing

Here’s the full shortlist.

If you’re heading to the Ceremony next week, we wish you luck in winning one of the awards!

Next page

Intergalva takes place in Rome next month, and team members from Premier Galvanizing and Joseph Ash Galvanizing will be attending.

Intergalva is known as ‘the worldwide galvanizing industry’s meeting place’ and we’re looking forward to seeing some of our colleagues from global galvanizing plants, meeting some of our clients and who may attend, and learning about latest industry developments.

A key theme for this year’s Intergalva is energy supply and the future decarbonisation of galvanizing operations.

The event is hosted by the EGGA (European General Galvanizers Association).

Registration is still open if you’d like to attend.

Next page