Holistic Vision for People, Place and Ecology Secures 3DReid Student Prize 2026 Win

27th Jul 2026
| Events
| Izzy watson

Jacob Hodgson of the Manchester School of Architecture is the winner of the 3DReid Student Prize 2026, following a highly competitive final that showcased some of the UK’s most promising emerging architectural talent.

The annual prize, now in its 20^th year, celebrates innovative thinking, design excellence and a commitment to addressing the environmental and societal challenges facing the built environment. This year’s competition attracted 22 submissions from architecture schools across the UK, with five outstanding finalists invited to present their work to a distinguished panel of industry judges at 3DReid’s London studio.

Jacob’s winning project, Credit Landscapes, stood out for its thoughtful and holistic response to contemporary environmental challenges by critically challenging the current approach to safeguarding the UK’s habitats through Biodiversity Net Gain calculations.

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Bringing together social, economic and ecological considerations, the proposal presented a more coherent vision for long-term landscape transformation and changing ecologies. The judging panel commended the project’s maturity, highlighting its strong commercial understanding, confident presentation and exceptional graphic communication. Together, these qualities created a compelling and well-rounded proposition that demonstrated both ambitious thinking and a clear awareness of real-world delivery.

The final brought together five exceptional projects that explored themes that felt routed in current issues such as population and climate change, reuse and even the construction of a Scottish winery in a global warming future.

Shortlisted entrants included:

Bridget Schneider & Hussien Khalil, University of Dundee, The Eucalyptus Project
Jacob Hodgson, Manchester School of Architecture, Credit Landscapes
Nikki Mrkic-Smith, Newcastle University, The Glass is Half Full
Raven Schneider, Leicester School of Architecture, Rewilding the Machine City
Takuyu Hirosaki, University of Bath, Productive Spine

The projects were assessed by a panel comprising:

Graham Hickson-Smith, 3DReid (Judging Chair)
Adele Arthur, Mace
Leanne Broadhead, Wates
Richard Coe, Kajima Partnerships Ltd
Piotr Kaczynski, 3DReid

The Student Prize continues to provide an important platform for emerging talent, connecting students with industry leaders and celebrating projects that demonstrate both creativity and a commitment to shaping a more sustainable and equitable future.

Congratulations to Jacob and all of the finalists for their outstanding achievements.

Reflecting on the quality of this year’s finalists, judge Richard Coe, Kajima Partnerships Ltd, commented:

“The future of architecture is in safe hands”

Richard Coe, Kajima Partnerships Ltd

Richard Coe,
Kajima Partnerships Ltd

“I echo what Richard has said. We’ve been running this prize for 20 years now and it never ceases to surprise and enthuse us. The quality of critical thinking and creativity continues to amaze me. This year’s entries have continued to raise the bar and my congratulations go to all those nominated, shortlisted and of course our winner Jacob. I look forward to watching your careers develop over the coming years.”

Graham Hickson-Smith, Judging Chair, 3DReid Managing Director

Graham Hickson-Smith,
Judging Chair, 3DReid Managing Director

Awards