The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) President’s Medals Student Awards are considered the most prestigious and long-lasting awards in architectural education in the world. 

First awarded in 1836 as the RIBA Silver Medal for an architectural essay (and awarded from 1855 to ‘Measured Drawings’ produced by a talented graduate), this is the RIBA’s longest-living award (preceding the Royal Gold Medal, which was established in 1848). In 1984, the Institute decided to create a Bronze Medal to reward a Part 1 student while the Silver Medal was awarded to a Part 2 student. In 2001, a Dissertation Medal was added. Since its early days, the aim of the awards has been to promote excellence in the study of architecture, to reward talent and to encourage architectural debate worldwide. 

Each year the RIBA invites approximately 300 schools of architecture from over 60 countries to nominate design projects and dissertations produced by their students. Winners are announced in December at the annual President’s Medals ceremony at the RIBA headquarters in London where the Bronze, Silver and Dissertation Medals are presented.