Structural Award Winners – One Year On

In preparation for the 2025 Structural Award Shortlist announcement, the IStructE contacted us to reflect on what winning our Structural Award last year meant to us.

To be shortlisted, one out of 30, alongside internationally renowned practices like Arup was a huge moment for us. And then to win this award! It’s the highest accolade bestowed upon structural engineering practices.  

Delivering buildings and spaces that people enjoy using is the ultimate goal for designers. Winning awards is the icing on the cake. Awards aren’t everything, but for an SME like ours, they mean a great deal. They highlight and promote excellence, showcase expertise, boost brand awareness, and build credibility. 

We’re celebrating 10 years of SD Engineers in November and so that plus winning a Structural Award are incredible milestones for us, and we couldn’t be prouder. 

We won the Structural Award for the new head office for Mary Ward Centre to provide workspace for their Legal Centre, a new multi-functioning performing arts theatre, cafe, flexible teaching areas, and community spaces.

Mary Ward Settlement Group is an adult education charity and they required larger premises due to their expanding service offering.

Queensway House was identified as a potential new home – a disused, 1970s, concrete-framed office building in Stratford. But the building was approximately 60% too small to cater for Mary Ward’s needs, necessitating refurbishment and extension.

A preliminary engineering study deemed a heavy retrofit was not viable and advised a demolition and new build approach would be the most appropriate solution. Given the funding structure for this project and cost estimate for a new build, this put the future viability of the project at significant risk.

The engineers played a fundamental role in giving the client and stakeholders the confidence to strengthen and reuse the existing building rather than demolish. Their diligent and determined approach demonstrated a viable future for the existing structure. The project is a substantial retrofit and vertical extension which doubled the building size, achieving a complete transformation with significant carbon savings. The before and after transformation is remarkable.

Structural Award Judges’ Citation

SD Engineers were consulted for an independent review and to better understand if retention could be achieved commercially.

We undertook a robust and systematic approach to verify the capacity and suitability of the existing frame, which was then reviewed against the proposals.

The design team subsequently restructured and SD Engineers were appointed as structural and civil engineers.

Ultimately, Queensway House was fully refurbished and extended by two storeys on top and 1.5m to the front.

A carbon assessment for the structural works calculated our design had a 40% reduction in embodied carbon when compared to a demolition and new build approach.

Mary Ward Centre opened its doors to students and clients in September 2023, marking a significant milestone in its transformation and its ability to provide additional services for a worthy cause.