Professor Sadie Morgan OBE among winners at the Built Environment Awards 2026
Posted on: 9 October, 2026
The University of the Built Environment welcomed industry leaders, alumni, students and partners to the 39th Built Environment Awards on Thursday 8 October 2026, recognising outstanding achievement, innovation and leadership across the sector.
Held once again at the prestigious Institute of Directors in Pall Mall, London, the ceremony brought together professionals from across the built environment for an afternoon of celebration, networking and reflection on the people helping to shape the future of cities, communities and the professions that serve them.
See a photo gallery of the day here:
The Built Environment Awards, formerly known as the Property Awards, has recognised some of the sector’s most influential figures since 1987, including His Majesty King Charles III, Sir Stuart Lipton, Chris Grigg CBE, Dame Helen Gordon and Samantha McClary.
Built Environment Award
The headline Built Environment Award was presented to renowned architect and design advocate Professor Sadie Morgan OBE, co-founding director of dRMM, the RIBA Stirling Prize-winning architecture practice behind projects including Hastings Pier and Maggie’s Oldham.
Throughout a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, Sadie has become one of the UK’s most influential voices on design quality, placemaking and infrastructure, serving in advisory roles with organisations including Homes England, the National Infrastructure Commission and HS2.
In 2020, she was awarded an OBE for services to design advocacy in the built environment.
Presenting the accolade, outgoing Chair of the Board of Trustees, Ros Kerslake, praised Sadie’s contribution to the sector, describing her as “an incredible role-model to so many and a truly inspiring leader”.
She added:”Our winner has built up a formidable reputation as a trailblazer of design in architecture, within that spanning architectural innovation, infrastructure, education and public policy….Her work consistently demonstrates how architecture can strengthen communities, enhance wellbeing, and connect people to place.”
After receiving the award, Sadie said: “I’m completely thrilled, very overwhelmed!”
She added: “When you look at the past award winners, I’m definitely in incredible company, but I think in particular for me as a designer, and someone who has come into the built environment perhaps in a different respect to the award winners that have been before, it’s particularly important to highlight the importance of good design within the built environment.”
Alumni Award
Since 2015, the awards have also recognised outstanding graduates and students through the Alumni Award and Academic Excellence Award categories.
This year’s Alumni Award was presented to Dominic O’Dea, a London School of Architecture (LSA) alumnus whose work exemplifies architecture’s capacity to deliver meaningful social impact.
Growing up in south London before completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Liverpool, Dominic went on to volunteer with humanitarian architecture charity Article 25, contributing to healthcare projects in Nepal, Morocco and the Caribbean.
He completed his Master of Architecture at the LSA in 2025, where his thesis, ‘The Pursuit of Dignified Shelter’, explored how architecture can support dignity and agency for people seeking asylum.
He has worked with MissionGo on the redevelopment and expansion of the Kimia Leprosy Clinic in the Republic of the Congo while continuing research into sustainable responses to water scarcity. He has recently taken up a post as Part II Architectural Designer at sustainable architecture studio, Studio Dash.
Speaking afterwards, Dominic said: “Shocked is probably a good word that comes to mind! I really wasn’t expecting it at all. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with the other nominees.”
He added: “The last year for me was a bit tricky just with the job market and I couldn’t find a job so I decided to go and do something that interested me, which was the humanitarian side of it. So standing here now makes it feel like it meant something. When I’m doing it by myself it means something to me but now it really feels like I did the right thing. So I’m just very, very happy and very, very honoured.”
Presenting the award, Vice Chancellor Professor Ashley Wheaton praised Dominic’s achievements and said: “His work exemplifies the power of architecture to create meaningful social impact.”
He added: “I’m absolutely delighted to be awarding this to an alumnus of the London School of Architecture for the first time and we look forward to seeing where your career takes you next.”
Academic Excellence Award
The Academic Excellence Award was presented to Sophie Watts, a recently qualified chartered surveyor at Savills and 2025 MSc Real Estate graduate.
Her winning dissertation, ‘Social Sustainability in Question: A Critical Analysis of Regeneration in Elephant and Castle and the Associated Impact on Social Sustainability’, critically examined the social outcomes of one of London’s most significant regeneration programmes.
While acknowledging improvements in areas including green space, connectivity and commercial opportunity, Sophie highlighted concerns around displacement, gentrification and the weakening of long-established community networks, raising important questions about who benefits from large-scale regeneration and whether private sector-led development can truly deliver social sustainability.
Speaking afterwards, Sophie said: “I am so surprised and absolutely thrilled to have won the award. It’s a great honour and a privilege for it to have been recognised. I worked really, really hard and it’s nice when your hard work pays off.”
Ashley highlighted the originality and practical relevance of her research, saying: “The findings provided produced an original and thought-provoking contribution to the field and raised important questions about the true benefits of regeneration.
“The work was exceptionally well written, sustained by an evident passion for the subject, and like so many of the nominations for this award in recent years, demonstrates the value of research from within the University community.”
The University wishes to congratulate all the winners and nominees, who were selected from hundreds of nominations, and thank the 150-plus guests for attending the afternoon of celebration.
The nominees
Alumni Award nominees
- Dominic O’Dea, Part II Architectural Designer, Studio Dash – winner
- Betty Owoo, Senior Design Officer, Greater London Authority
- Selina Baptiste, Chartered Quantity Surveyor and RICS London Regional Board member
- Jennifer Gyoh, Graduate Building Surveyor, AtkinsRéalis
- Motlatšo Maloka, Acting Valuer General of South Africa
- Jake Wright, Quantity Surveyor, Dadson and Butler Limited
- Chiara Barrett, Architect, Carmody Groarke
Academic Excellence Award nominees
- Sophie Watts, Chartered Surveyor, Savills – winner
- Tammy Grey, Disabled Facilities Grant Service Manager, Bracknell Forest Council
- Alice Coltman, Chartered Surveyor, Knight Frank
- Olivia Ziegler-Evans, Graduate Surveyor, JLL Healthcare Capital Markets
- Cara Christie, Managing Director, Christie Developments Ltd
