Our cities are damaging our health – that's the conclusion of a new report by the Royal Institute of British Architects which looks at the impact of the built environment on obesity and life expectancy. It found that the urban conurbations with the healthiest populations [...] had half the density of housing and a fifth more green spaces than the places where people were the most unfit, such as Liverpool (the highest rate of diabetes) and Birmingham (the lowest proportion of active adults). — independent.co.uk

The shakeup means there will be no Lubetkin Prize or RIBA International awards given next year.

Named after the Georgian émigré and Modernist Berthold Lubetkin, the 8-year old accolade had been open only to RIBA chartered architects and international fellows with its shortlist drawn from each year’s set of RIBA International Award winners.

The new International Prize will have a wider remit and is expected to be open to all architects, although the exact criteria has yet to be announced. — architectsjournal.co.uk

London's The Bartlett School of Architecture scored big times at today's presentation of the 2013 RIBA President’s Medals Student Awards taking home all of the three top prizes. [...]

Dating back to 1836, the prestigious President's Medals are awarded annually to students nominated by schools of architecture worldwide. — bustler.net

Since our last update on this competition, Theis and Khan was recently selected to design RIBA's new administration center at 76 Portland Place, London, W1. Theis and Khan has won previous RIBA awards and was shortlisted in the RIBA Stirling Prize and Manser Medal in 2011. — bustler.net

RIBA is one step closer to finding the lead architecture team to design the new RIBA administration center in 76 Portland Place, London, W1. Out of 32 strong submissions, the Selection Panel chose six teams to advance to the second stage. — bustler.net

RIBA and the London School of Economics (LSE) have yet to announce the winning team this November for their New Global Centre for Social Sciences competition.

As part of the decision-making process for the winning design, the LSE hosted a public exhibition from Oct. 7 - Oct. 18 where visitors had the opportunity to vote for their favorite one. All designs have remained under anonymity. — bustler.net

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) won the RIBA competition to design the new London Police Headquarters, as announced by the Mayor of London, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and RIBA on Oct. 14. This is one of the latest big-time projects for the UK-based firm, who is also working on the redevelopment of the BBC television center and was recently named the architect for Google's UK headquarters. — bustler.net

Also presented with institute honors that night were two projects which represent the UK's most excellent small projects: the 2013 Manser Medal for the best new home went to Slip House by Carl Turner Architects, and the 2013 Stephen Lawrence Prize in recognition of fresh talent and smaller construction budgets went to Montpelier Community Nursery by AY Architects. — bustler.net

Cooled Conservatories, Gardens by the Bay in Singapore by London-based Wilkinson Eyre Architects is the winner of the 2013 RIBA Lubetkin Prize for the best new international building. This is the second year running for Wilkinson Eyre, who also won the prize last year for Guangzhou International Finance Center in China. — bustler.net

The winner of the 2013 Stirling Prize was announced at a special ceremony in London tonight: Astley Castle, a groundbreaking modern holiday home inserted into the crumbling walls of an ancient moated castle, in Warwickshire, England by London-based Witherford Watson Mann Architects has won the coveted trophy for the best building of the year. — bustler.net

The Royal Institute of British Architects has announced celebrated architectural critic, historian and writer Joseph Rykwert as the recipient of the 2014 Royal Gold Medal. — bustler.net

Last week, the Royal Institute of British Architects announced the six projects shortlisted for the RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize 2013, which recognizes the best projects that exemplify fresh talent with a construction budget under £1 million (US$1.59M). Dedicated to the memory of Stephen Lawrence—a teenager who aspired to become an architect but whose life was abruptly ended in 1993—the Stephen Lawrence Prize was set up to inspire emerging talent and working with small construction budgets. — bustler.net

The Royal Institute of British Architects has revealed its shortlist for the 2013 RIBA Manser Medal - Best New Home -- the UK's most distinguished private home design award. [...] Locally presented and judged, the RIBA Awards are specifically for structures in the UK by RIBA Chartered Architects and RIBA International Fellows. Winners are also considered for the RIBA Stirling Prize. — bustler.net

The Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center (CHP) is a philanthropic body, dedicated to preserving local culture. It recently wrote to RIBA after the architectural body awarded Zaha Hadid Architects' Galaxy Soho complex a 2013 International Award for architectural excellence, chastising RIBA's choice of winner. — phaidon.com