The Alice Hawthorn: The country pub which has been named among the best buildings in Yorkshire

Five projects have made it through to the final round of The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Yorkshire Awards for 2022.

From a country pub to a footbridge and a university sporting hub, each has been commended for the thoughtful design skills of the team behind its build.

Among the projects is The Alice Hawthorne country pub, by De Matos Ryan.

The Alice Hawthorn is owned by HomeServe plumbing boss Richard Harpin and his wife Kate, who live at nearby St Mary's Priory and took over the village's last surviving pub in 2013.

Initially, their investment was slow to reap rewards - the Huddersfield-born businessman propped up the tenant at the time, but the Grade II-listed inn - named after a famous racehourse - went into liquidation a year later.

There was then a more successful collaboration with Josh Overington and Vicky Roberts, who also run French restaurant Le Cochon Aveugle in York city centre, before the couple left to focus on the latter.

It was recently voted the Best Place to Stay in the North by The Times.

Yorkshire jury chair Adam Clark said: “The variety of buildings shortlisted this year – from typology to scale demonstrate the skill and sensitivity of RIBA architects.

“Careful and appropriate use of materials alongside crisp detailing particularly stand out – reflecting the increasing need to provide the highest quality sustainable buildings for our towns, cities and villages.

“Once again the RIBA Awards programme showcases the vitally important role that architects play in enhancing and protecting our environment whilst lifting our spirits in challenging times.”

Running since 1966, the RIBA Awards are aimed at championing architecture which betters buildings, communities and the environment.

The four West Yorkshire projects that have been shortlisted include the Carnegie School of Sport by Sheppard Robson; Courtyard House by Doma Architects; Leeds Footbridge by Gagarin Studio with DP Squared; and Maggie’s Leeds by Heatherwick Studio.

All shortlisted projects are now to be assessed by a regional jury with the winning projects to be announced later in the spring, before being considered in a national round.