From home extensions to workspaces, pavilions to shop fit-outs, restaurants and small houses, AJ Small Projects has always celebrated great architecture on a budget.Since the award was conceived, it has proved a fantastic showcase for the depth of design talent across the UK and has highlighted the work of often new and smaller practices, many of which have later gone onto greater or larger things. Previous winners include Chris Wilkinson, Haworth Tompkins, Mole Architects, Carmody Groarke and Hawkins\Brown.Enter AJ Small Projects 2025 now!Tthe AJ Small Projects Award has charted a quarter of a century of Britains architects seeking to harness big ideas to small budgets.Past winners have ranged from luxury home renovations, extensions on tiny budgets, arts and cultural studios and spaces, follies and more civic and community-minded market stalls.AdvertisementThe award was launched in 1995 with a garden pavilion by Anthony Grimshawwinning in 1996.Since then, winners have followed trends in architectural form, ideas and materiality, starting with the glazed box of the original winner to later schemes featuring Cor-ten as cladding such as Haworth Tompkins 2010 winner The Dovecote Studioora return to brick as seen in 2018s winning scheme,Wrong Houseby Matheson Whiteley Architects. Source:Peter LandersChris Dysons sensitively camouflaged Wapping extension to a Grade II-listed terrace was 2014s winning schemeThere has also been an increasing recognition of the value ofretrofitprojects, adapting and adding to in more ways than one existing structures: seen in Martin Edwards architects subtle and sensitive winning scheme, House in North Wales, which reworked a beloved home.Sustainability has been more and more embodied, as seen most recently in 2024s winner: the Farmers Arms Cold Food Store by Hayatsu Architects and Grizedale Arts. This was built on the side of a former pub in the Lake District for a local arts organisation specialising in crafts. Constructed as part of an annual building school at which international participants learned and exchanged craft skills, the structures design adapts traditional Japanese storage building typologies with locally sourced materials. It also used traditional Japanese shikkuiplaster.Although the eligible cost for entered completed projects has risen with inflation this years award will celebrate projects with a maximum contract value of 399,000 the cheapest winning scheme will most likely remain as 2004s Ola Mae Porch by Lucy Begg and Robie Gay. Completed for just 3,600, the project was a self-built porch for a trailer home in rural Alabama.The AJ Small Projects award-giving event and exhibition has also been held at many different venues over the years with 2000s selected schemes shown at the RIBA Architecture Gallery that spring. In 2012, it was held at New London Architecture, then located at the Building Centre, and more recently architecture practices including Apt, Studio Egret West and Morris + Co have kindly hosted it.AdvertisementAJ Small Projects 2025 is sponsored by Marley. The shortlisted projects will be published in the AJs April issue and all projects entered into the awards are featured on the AJ Buildings Library. More information on criteria and how to enter can be found here. Source:Charlie RedmanTo celebrate Small Projects turning 21 in 2016, three projects were named winners including The Welcoming Shelter, a kinetic structure by Bartlett student Charlie RedmanAJ Small Projects: past winners1996 Garden Gazebo by Anthony Grimshaw (57,500)Read more here1997/1998 Princes Club Ski Tow Pavilion by Chris Wilkinson (60,000)Read more here1999 Glover Flat by Wilkinson King (43,000)2000 10 Market Stalls by Hawkins\Brown (144,000)2001 Holland Park by Boyarsky Murphy Architects (120,000)2002 London House by Simon Conder Associates (98,500)Read more here2003 TFL International by Studio BAAD (217,000)2004 Ola Mae Porch by Lucy Begg and Robie Gay (3,600)2005 Bell-Simpson House by NORD Architects (80,000)2006 Three Seton Mains by Paterson Architects (200,000)Read more here2007 Wallace Road by Paul Archer Design (250,000)2008 Japanese Tea House by Mole Architects (7,000)Watch film here2009 Moonshine by Mitchell Taylor Workshop (150,000)Read more here2010 The Dovecote Studio by Haworth Tompkins (155,000)Read more here2011 Jellyfish Theatre by Koebberling and Kaltwasser (17,000)Read more here2012 Old Workshop by Jack Woolley (232,000)Read more here2013 Box House by Laura Dewe Mathews (245,000)Read more here2014 13 Wapping Pierhead by Chris Dyson Architects (210,000)Read more here2015 Maggies Merseyside by Carmody Groarke (217,000)Read more here2016 Contemporary lean-to by Doma Architects (101,800), The Welcoming Shelter by Charlie Redman (22,000), and Avon Wildlife Trust Cabin by Hugh Strange Architects (32,000)Read more here2017 Croft Lodge Studio by Kate Darby Architects and David Connor Design (160,000)Read more here2018 Wrong House by Matheson Whiteley Architects (93,000)Read more here2019 Conservatory Room by David Leech Architects (49,750)Read more here2020 House in North Wales by Martin Edwards Architects (120,000)Read more here2021 Common Room by Rashid Ali Architects (9,500)Read more here2022 Drovers Bough by Akin Studio (70,200) Read more here2023 Adelaide Street by OGU Architects and MMAS (340,000)Read more here2024 The Farmers Arms Cold Food Store by Hayatsu Architects and Grizedale Arts (35,000) Read more here2025 ?