The Spencer Building, Corpus Christi College, Oxford
RIBA South Award 2026
We are thrilled to share that The Spencer Building at Corpus Christi College, Oxford has been awarded a 2026 UK RIBA South Award!
Designed by Wright & Wright Architects, the Spencer Building is one of the UK’s first Grade I-listed Passivhaus-certified buildings — a remarkable achievement on a heavily constrained 16th-century campus, nestled between the medieval city wall, the Grade I-listed Old Library, and the Garden Quad.
The building consolidates the college’s precious special collections — including manuscripts and early printed books of national and historical importance — into a purpose-built home with 65 reader spaces and six research desks, all underpinned by exceptional environmental controls.
The College has been praised by the judges for their extraordinary ambition in setting out to deliver one of the UK’s first Grade I-listed Passivhaus buildings. The jury also remarked on the wider significance of the project, noting that the rigour and robustness of the Passivhaus-standard building will safeguard the sensitive collections for many generations and serve as an example for other historic buildings across the UK.
Synergy acted as project manager, and we’re incredibly proud to have played our part in delivering this landmark project.
Architect: Wright & Wright Architects, Contractor: Kingerlee Ltd, Structural Engineer: Alan Baxter Associates, M&E engineer: Max Fordham, QS: Ridge & Partners LLP
Oru Sutton
RIBA London Award 2026
We are very proud to have provided cost consultancy services on this award wining project in Sutton.
Oru Sutton is a genuine reimagining of a redundant building, a compelling example of adaptive reuse done thoughtfully and with purpose.
Located within a former BHS department store on Sutton High Street, the project delivers over 3,400sqm of mixed-use accommodation across five floors, encompassing co-working space, yoga and fitness studios, a nursery, event space, retail units, a café restaurant, and a rooftop community garden.
What made this project special was its ethos: working with what already exists, reducing consumption, and embracing constraints as opportunities.
Architect: Samuel Chisholm Studio and Takero Shimazaki Architects, Contractor: Oru Space Ltd, Structural/M&E Engineer: Webb Yates Engineers, Building Control: Sutton Council
The Creamery, Castle Cary
RIBA South West & Wessex Award 2026
We are delighted that The Creamery has been recognised with a RIBA South West & Wessex Award! Synergy helped to bring this project to life as the cost consultant throughout.
This century-old former creamery, a well-known local landmark distinguished by its iconic chimney, has been sensitively restored and repurposed as a working cheese-making facility, complete with an associated shop and café/restaurant. The project is a thoughtful exercise in heritage-led regeneration, returning the building to its original dairy function while creating a vibrant destination for the local community and visitors alike.
The result is a building that wears its history proudly while embracing a contemporary purpose. Visitors can observe the cheese-making process directly from the café, the building once again draws on its historic relationship with Castle Cary station, and the café now serves as an informal waiting area for rail travellers — complete with live train times.
Architect: Stonewood Design. Contractor: Ken Biggs, Structural/Civil Engineer: Hydrock, M&E: E3
