Accordia in Cambridge designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Alison Brooks Architects, and Macreanor Lavington has won the 13th Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize in association with The Architects' Journal.

The presentation of the UK's premier architectural award took place at a glittering award ceremony on Saturday at the Arena and Convention Centre, Liverpool, and was televised live on Channel 4.

The judges commented: "This is high density housing at its very best, demonstrating that volume house-builders can deliver high quality architecture - and that as a result they can improve their own bottom line. The whole scheme is about relationships: between architect and developer/contractor/client; between three very different firms of architects - Feilden Clegg Bradley, Maccreanor Lavington and Alison Brooks Architects; and between private and public external spaces, providing a new model for outside-inside life with interior rooftop spaces, internal courtyards and large semi-public community gardens.

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"The development proves that good modern housing sells, that a committed local authority can have a very positive influence on the design, that a masterplan with a range of architects can be successful and that the very best architecture does not need to rely on gimmicks. It has already won numerous awards: Housing Design Awards - overall winner (2006); Building for Life Awards: Gold Standard (2006); National Homebuilder Design Awards (2006); Civic Trust (2007). It is a project that will be much referred to and used a future case study. It is architecture which gives hope for us all for the future."

(CD/JM)