The Pineapples 2024 judges announced

The Pineapples awards for place have announced 36 judges and counting for the 2024 awards programme. The Pineapples are the only awards that celebrate the urban life of places, with an emphasis on the social and environmental impact of a project’s design and development.

The judges for The Pineapples include architects, developers, investors, local authorities, academics, and consultants. Prominent figures amongst the judges include: Director Cannon Ivers of LDA Design who won a Pineapple in Public Space for the project Strand Aldwych Public Realm, Clarissa Bromell, Head of Social Imagination at developer Human Nature, winner of a Pineapple in Future Place for the project The Phoenix, Lewes; returning judge Julian Tollast, Head of Masterplanning and Design at Quintain and Alice Lester, Corporate Director for Communities and Regeneration at London Borough of Brent council.

Ben Adams, Founding Director at Ben Adams Architects, also returns as a judge for this year, having described the 2023 judging as "a genuine treat". Adams said: "It was an uplifting, life-affirming, exhausting and enriching experience as always – so many contrasting projects illuminated by the tireless creative energy of their teams."

Catherine Dewar, Regional Director North West at Historic England is also returning as a judge: "The Pineapples are leading the way in looking at excellence in placemaking in the round which is so important."

"The Pineapples was an uplifting, life-affirming, exhausting and enriching experience as always – so many contrasting projects illuminated by the tireless creative energy of their teams" says judge Ben Adams 

The judging process is rigorous, with entry criteria focused on the environmental and social impact of each project. Judges will be looking for an approach that contributes positively to urban life, from shared spaces that foster community, to developments worth living in, to meaningful engagement, and retail experiences that make shopping special again. Judges will seek to award places that encourage people to dwell, live, work, connect, learn or play

The judges will complete the shortlisting of projects based on the written entry submission and shortlisted built works will then be visited by at least one judge. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to present their project during a week of live judging. The Festival of Pineapples will be streamed online from 15-19 April, a free-to-attend event that sees developers and designers compete to win a coveted golden pineapple for best place.

The Pineapples 2024 includes 11 categories: Creative Retrofit, Activation, Public Space, Infrastructure, Community Engagement, Climate Resilience, Future Public Realm, Future Place, International Future Place, Place in Progress and Place of Year. The final deadline to enter The Pineapples is 25 January 2024. 

Shortlisted projects will be announced in March 2024 and the winners will be announced and presented with golden pineapples at The Pineapples Awards Party in May 2024. All shortlisted projects are published in The Developer magazine and on the website.