An art gallery in west Suffolk and an eco home on the Suffolk coast have been shortlisted for a prestigious architecture award.

The Royal Institution of British Architecture (RIBA) awards celebrate the UK's best architecture with regional and national accolades for projects. 

17 projects in the East of England have been shortlisted for the regional East award including Gainsborough's House in Sudbury and Creek Cabin in Southwold.

East Anglian Daily Times: Gainsborough's House is a Grade I listed buildingGainsborough's House is a Grade I listed building (Image: Newsquest)

Gainsborough's House reopened to the public last year following a £10 million transformational redevelopment. 

It is the largest art gallery in Suffolk and was the childhood home of British artist Thomas Gainsborough. 

In November it won an award for being the best Georgian building to be restored at the Georgian Awards 2023. 

On the win, David Adshead, director of the Georgian Group, said: “Remarkably, thanks to the energy and expertise of countless individuals, five of the projects shortlisted for this year’s Georgian Group Architectural Awards, have now been removed from the ‘heritage at risk list’ maintained by Historic England, and, in one case, from the equivalent list of Historic Environment Scotland. 

"We hope this will inspire others to take on the rescue and repair of Georgian buildings that still languish on these lists and on our own heritage at risk register.”

Creek Cabin is a sustainable family home designed to keep in high levels of warmth while keeping carbon low. 

It was constructed by MAP architecture in collaboration with Jon Broome Architects and was challenged by the need for flood-resilient construction and the restrictive Suffolk Broads landscape.

READ MORE: Suffolk garden centre named one of UK's best

Speaking about the awards, RIBA awards group chair Simon Henley said: "They highlight today what we mean when we talk about architecture, who it's for, and what it can do.

"I'm hoping for projects that continue to demonstrate how architects are not only capable of solving the many challenges facing society today, but also inspire us to demand more of our environment and the organisations that shape it."

The winner of the RIBA East award will be announced in spring and will be considered for several RIBA Special Awards, including the award for sustainability and RIBA Building of the Year. 

The prestigious RIBA National Award will be announced in the summer.