24 March 2025 – The Cambridge headquarters of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, the Entopia Building, is among 23 projects nominated for the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) East Awards 2025.
Constructed in 1939 to house a telephone exchange, the Entopia Building, formerly 1 Regent Street, was sustainably refitted at a cost of £12.6 million and CISL moved in in 2022. The building also houses the Canopy, a Cambridge community for entrepreneurs, startups, innovators and small businesses pioneering sustainability innovation.
Entopia’s retrofit was a collaborative project. The updated building achieved a 35 per cent reduction in heat loss and uses only 15 per cent of the energy requirements of the original building. A total of 62,332kg CO2e in construction materials were avoided.
CISL's vision is for Entopia to become a Living Lab for sustainability innovation, where innovators, academics and pioneering companies in the built environment can come together to pilot and test new interventions in the design, operation and use of lived spaces – and to communicate and share the results for public benefit.
Matt Blakeley, Regional Director for RIBA Central, said of the RIBA East shortlist: “The East region continues to deliver as one of the shining lights of architectural excellence in the UK, with this year’s shortlist demonstrating a wealth of outstanding projects. From mass housing to community buildings, commercial to educational spaces, the diversity and innovation on display is truly remarkable.”
All projects shortlisted for RIBA Awards will be visited by a regional jury, and the winning projects will be announced later this spring. The winners will then be considered for several RIBA Special Awards before being considered for a highly coveted RIBA National Award, which will be announced in summer.
The Entopia Building has already won several awards, most recently two prizes at last month’s Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers awards ceremony.