The AI Specification Awards 2024 celebrated the best projects and products from across the architectural ironmongery sector. On this page you can find out more about the winners in each category.

Public & Commercial (sponsored by ASSA Abloy)  

WINNER

Featherstone Building, London  
Architect – Morris+Company 
Architectural Ironmonger – Allgood plc

Summary
The Featherstone Building is a 126,700 sq ft industrial-inspired workspace with a contemporary finish, located in the heart of the Old Street district, offering 110,000 sq ft of offices, 13,400 sq ft of shared amenity space, DL/28, and 2,350 sq ft of retail space.

Ironmongery specification
Allgood provided a comprehensive package of ironmongery to the building. This included items from its range of washroom products, which offer the same commitment to quality as its core ranges and are precision-engineered to meet the highest performance standards.  
 
The showpiece item of the specification was the creation of a bespoke pull handle for the internal doors. As the design intention for the building was to draw direct inspiration from the many Victorian warehouse buildings in the area, the handle had to fit in with this style but also had to perform to modern standards and ensure it could stand the test of time.

Hospitality (sponsored by dormakaba)

WINNER

Raffles Hotel, The Old War Office, London 
Architect – EPR Architects 
Architectural Ironmonger – HAF @ John Planck Ltd

Summary
The Old War Office is an iconic Grade II listed London landmark within the heart of Whitehall which has been sensitively restored over the past 8 years to a 5* Hotel and luxury residences. The site is steeped in history with various prime ministers and senior British political figures having been based in the building, including Winston Churchill (used as a base to command forces during WW2), David Lloyd George, Herbert Asquith and Lord Kitchener. 
 
The office was also the workplace of Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond series, and it is thought that Fleming came up with the idea for Bond during his time at the office.

Ironmongery specification
The restoration of such an iconic landmark required a fully co-ordinated range of ironmongery that was suitably performance and fire tested to meet the requirements of the existing and new doors throughout the development. 

With a wide variety of different products supplied in large volumes, ranging from lever handles, pull handles and other door trim items to window and espagnolette handles and other general accessories.

Health & Education (sponsored by FireDNA)  

WINNER

Rhodes House, Oxford 
Architect – Stanton Williams 
Architectural Ironmonger – 3v Architectural Hardware

Summary
Rhodes House was originally completed in 1929 by the prominent English Architect Herbert Baker, and is the historic home of the Rhodes Trust, an educational charity that offers scholarships to Oxford University. Its notable alumni include former US President Bill Clinton. 

Stanton Williams Architects were tasked with transforming the House and its gardens. To double the usable space and improving its environmental performance whilst always complementing the original design. 

The two-phased project was to include a three hundred seat conference hall in converted existing archiving spaces beneath the main rooms and gardens, to be accessed via a magnificent new stone staircase in the centre of the Rotunda main entrance.

Ironmongery specification
The ironmongery brief from Stanton Williams was to preserve the character and features within the original house while choosing contrasting but complementary products for the new contemporary extension.

Residential (sponsored by Frank Allart)

WINNER

The Old War Office Residences, London  
Architect – EPR Architects 
Architectural Ironmongery – HAF @ John Planck Ltd

Summary
The Old War Office is an iconic Grade II listed London landmark within the heart of Whitehall which has been sensitively restored over the past 8 years to a 5* Hotel and luxury residences.

Ironmongery specification
The general design for the residential areas was driven by Interior Designer 1508 London and in the spirit of the Edwardian style of The Old War Office, recalling the ornate bronze ironmongery to be found throughout the impressive historic spaces without being overscale.  

The slim profile of the lever handles and modest decoration also complimented the scale and simplicity of the elegant painted millwork and decoration of the hotel rooms and suites.

HIGHLY COMMENDED

The Broadway, London  
Architect – Squire & Partners 
Architectural Ironmongery – Franchi plc

The Sky Residences, London  
Architect – MSMR Architects 
Architectural Ironmongery – John Planck Ltd

International (sponsored by Norseal) 

WINNER

Atlantis, The Royal  
Interior Designer – GA Design 
Architectural Ironmongery – Allgood

Summary
In 2015 Allgood was appointed by interior designers GA Design (GAD), after they were awarded the hotel portion of the project, to work on the guest rooms at Atlantis The Royal (ATR), a new ultra-luxury hotel and residences in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. 

ATR is a collaboration of the world’s leading designers, architects and artists, everything in the hotel has been designed to redefine guests’ definition of ultra-luxury. 

Setting a new standard in luxury, ATR isn’t just a hotel – it is redefining what luxury hospitality is. Upon opening, it was awarded the Top 50 Hotels in the world, notably the only hotel in the Middle East to do so.

Ironmongery specification
Allgood provided a host of ironmongery and created a range of bespoke items for the resort. These covered many areas, from beautifully crafted crystal-topped ballroom handles to specially designed grade 316 single action top and bottom straps and access control solutions.

Product Design and Innovation – Mechanical (sponsored by CES)

WINNER

485 & 585 Concealed Escape Hardware  
Manufacturer - ASSA Abloy

Product description
The ASSA ABLOY 485/585 escape hardware range was launched in mid-2023. It has been an immediate success with door manufacturers successfully surpassing their current testing, and achieving a range of PAS 24 certification on final exit doors. 

The range is manufactured at ASSA Abloy’s facility offering its customer the assurance of British quality.

The 485/585 range was designed to meet four main challenges: The integration of a concealed rod into multiple designs of aluminium door sections, PAS 24 accreditation, achieving a security rating on oversized doors and be able to be retrofitted.

Product Design and Innovation – Electronic (sponsored by ADSA)

WINNER

Tedee
Manufacturer - Access2

Product description
Tedee is a smart motorised thumb turn that can be retrofitted to a mechanical cylinder lock. The Tedee drives the cylinder CAM which in turn locks or unlocks the door. The Tedee is battery powered and controlled by an APP, providing electronic access control to what has previously been a traditional mechanical solution.

By motorising the thumb turn operation of a cylinder lock, we can provide electronic access control to virtually any door that has some form of cylinder locking mechanism.

Ethos Award (sponsored by Codelocks)   

WINNER

Cherry Tree House, Leeds 
Architectural Ironmongery – Em-B Solutions

Summary
The Cherry Tree House project, a collaboration between Em-B Solutions and the Leeds Jewish Housing Association (LJHA), exemplifies architectural innovation and responsiveness to client needs. This purpose-built sheltered housing scheme, opened in Spring 2022, features 51 self-contained apartments, each equipped with modern kitchens and accessible bathrooms.

Ironmongery specification
The chosen hardware, particularly Phantom lever on rose handles, were a perfect match for the project's requirements. Em-B's approach went beyond mere compliance; they engaged in a comprehensive dialogue with residents and staff to select hardware that was not only functional but also appealing and practical for a sheltered housing environment. This level of involvement ensured that every aspect, from the ease of grip hardware, accessible cylinders and the durability of materials, was tailored to enhance the residents' day-to-day experiences. 

Winner of Winners (sponsored by GEZE)

WINNER

Raffles Hotel, The Old War Office, London 
Architect – EPR Architects 
Architectural Ironmonger – HAF @ John Planck Ltd

Judges’ comments
The Raffles Hotel, London at OWO project claimed the awards top prize. The judges highlighted the huge amount of beautifully crafted bespoke ironmongery which fits seamlessly into the overall aesthetic of the building. 
 
They also highlighted the attention to detail in the specification and supply was exceptional.