Whether a fine dining restaurant or the best casual eatery, the interior design should create a comfortable, welcoming look and feel for customers while enabling staff to deliver top notch service. From suitable acoustics, brilliant branding to an innovative layout, projects should deliver on all levels to enhance the dining or drinking experience.

The interior design of hotels, guest houses, serviced apartments, chalets, holiday cottages and other overnight accommodation should enhance overall guest comfort. From bedroom and suite layout to the décor of common areas such as front of house, bars and restaurants, projects should achieve a cohesive hospitality experience.

Excellence in entertainment design includes bars, nightclubs, music venues and casinos with the wow factor. Interiors should create a distinct identity and a truly immersive environment where lighting, sound, and décor work harmoniously together with seamless integration of audio-visual systems and related technology.

Interiors should embody what an exclusive environment means: specification of high-quality furniture, lighting, and materials, providing a highly sophisticated environment with a distinctive sense of luxury. Privacy is another desirable consideration for members clubs so visitors can meet, relax, or network discreetly.

One of the essential elements of any interior, projects in this category should demonstrate a deep understanding of the technical capabilities of various types of lighting systems, harnessing the placement, colour temperature and intensity to achieve an unforgettable atmosphere and mood while also considering energy efficiency demands.

Projects such as site-specific installations should be both cohesive and impactful for visitors. Designs should support a dynamic and interactive environment which creates a memorable experience. Consideration should also be given to the ease of installation and dismantling of these temporary projects and related sustainability demands.

Exceptionally realised CGIs and visualisations help to bring the story of a design to life. Entries should not only accurately represent the scheme in question but take the intended stakeholders on a visual journey, helping to raise expectations of the finished design and how it will meet the needs of the intended user groups.

Wherever possible interiors should be designed to meet the needs of people with differing physical abilities, allowing them to access and use spaces safely and independently. Accessible interior design encompasses everything from ramps and lifts to wider doorways and hallways, inclusive signage and wayfinding, accessible WCs and also acknowledges neurodivergent users in terms of appropriate lighting, colours, patterns and materials.

Successful entries should provide the ultimate performance experience whether that’s next-level movie going, truly immersive theatre or the most talked about live music events. Designs should perfectly balance audience needs such as comfort and accessibility with demands such as leading-edge acoustics, seamlessly incorporating specialist equipment while maximising audience revenue.

Creating a truly memorable experience, projects in this category must demonstrate a thorough understanding of exhibition design for both permanent collections and temporary shows. Designs should encourage visitors to explore and engage with the gallery spaces as well as the retail and café offerings, creating a strong creative narrative and ensuring the museum or gallery is a must- visit destination.

Students and teachers alike should be supported and inspired by the design of these spaces, which can be a school, university, college, early-years education space, research centre or training facility. The interior design should support a range of teaching and learning styles whether formal or informal, deftly accommodate different study group sizes and provide ample opportunity for collaboration as well as independent study.

This category demonstrates ground-breaking infrastructure design, whether an airport, railway station, bus or tram station, yacht, boat, or other significant transport design. Projects must enable an outstanding passenger experience: a hassle-free journey, exemplary wayfinding, and signage plus ample facilities within the concourse and waiting areas. Designs should be effective and socially responsible, balancing the needs of operators, visitors, and the local community.

This category is dedicated to discovering awe-inspiring interiors including community centres, libraries, visitor centres or other municipal hubs which promote social interaction, learning, community engagement and civic pride. Designs should exceed the expectations of diverse user groups, improve quality of life for residents and provide a focal point, unique to the project’s location.

Preserving and respecting the cultural significance of the site, designs should also cleverly consider current and future user needs. Interiors should demonstrate expert restoration and conservation methods with careful consideration of the original structure and materials, while adding contemporary design knowhow.

The interior design of individual dwellings with an overall value of under £1 Million will be considered including new builds, conversions, renovations, or extensions, these should demonstrate an intelligent use of space with multifunctional layouts that create a comfortable and practical environment, demonstrating a deep understanding of the needs and wants of the owners.

The interiors of individual dwellings with an overall value of over £1 Million will be considered including new builds, conversions, renovations, or extensions. The judges will be looking for comfortable and healthy homes that make best use of the space available and perfectly reflect the personality and lifestyle of the occupants.

The interior of a show flat or apartment should soundly demonstrate the potential of a housing development to potential buyers or renters in terms of space utilisation, maximising daylight, with considered furniture and lighting selection and material finishes being key. Entries should be imbued with a strong sense of lifestyle aspiration.

The interior of a successful multi-unit development such as an apartment block, condominium, student accommodation or other development with multiple homes should highlight how the project satisfies the needs of the potential residents, as well as how it enhances the surrounding community and meets sustainability considerations.

Whether a single, independent outlet or a small chain of shops in different locations, projects should show a clear understanding of customer flow with winning designs in this category cleverly reflecting the retail brand’s personality to attract and retain loyal customers.

Designs with a limited timeframe and dimensions such as visual merchandising displays, concessions and pop ups need to be aesthetically engaging to create a memorable impression, in keeping with the brand. Due consideration should also be given to the reuse of materials after the project life cycle has ended.

Best in class designs for retail chains, department stores, shopping arcades and malls need to incorporate multiple branding elements seamlessly, with easy navigation and fit-for-purpose facilities as well as fully considering the customer experience to support visitor loyalty and drive consistent revenue.

The design of spas, sports clubs or other wellness spaces should show state-of-the-art facilities that promote health and well-being. Whether this is a space of deep relaxation and holistic health in a spa or matching changing rooms to hospitality provisions on sites in training areas.

Projects should sensitively respond to the needs of patients, healthcare professionals and visitors. Designs should also promote healing and patient dignity via the creation of clean and comfortable interiors offering suitable ventilation, lighting and surface materials and offer adequate provision of private rooms, staff facilities and medical record storage.

Small workplace interiors should take employee needs and the client’s corporate aims into consideration with appropriate provision of workstations plus areas for collaboration as well as concentrated work, maximising space in areas such as meeting rooms and reception areas to ensure flexibility with appropriate lighting, furniture, and storage.

Small and medium workplace interiors should take employee needs and the client’s corporate aims into consideration with appropriate provision of workstations plus areas for collaboration as well as concentrated work, maximising space in areas such as meeting rooms and reception areas to ensure flexibility with appropriate lighting, furniture, and storage.

The design of large, corporate offices should engender a sense of unity within the workforce, whether in- office, hybrid or remote. The provision of audio-visual and collaboration spaces as well as flexible furniture configurations and wellness facilities is therefore key to ensure every employee can reach their potential.

Flexibility in workplace interiors has never been more important post-pandemic. The category, given over to studio spaces, home offices and coworking locations will also consider maximising productivity and comfort, tailoring tech to individual needs, balancing communal and private areas, with due consideration given to a sustainable design approach.

This category includes refurbishments or new builds and is open to innovative design solutions for lobbies, joint workspaces, meeting rooms, conference suites, breakout areas, co-working spaces, office canteens and corporate restaurants, rest areas and other inspiring common areas. Designs should be space efficient, foster teamwork and promote a sense of company belonging.

This project category is dedicated to any other well- designed space that can be categorised as a workplace. This ranges from innovative use of industrial buildings, breweries and distilleries to future-facing factory spaces, refineries, warehouses, wineries, and storage facilities.