Updated: 1st July, 2025
Created: 30th June, 2025
The susdrain SuDS Awards, led by CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association), have become a respected annual platform for acknowledging innovation in water-sensitive urban design. These awards celebrate organisations and individuals whose work in SuDS embodies best practice, public value, and engineering excellence.
The awards are more than just a recognition of technical prowess; they reflect a deeper shift in how the industry thinks about water. Rather than quickly moving rainwater away via pipes and culverts, SuDS emphasise nature-based solutions that manage water where it falls therefore slowing flow, improving quality, enhancing biodiversity, and creating attractive public spaces.
The 2025 awards highlighted a dynamic range of projects across both rural and urban settings, from schoolyards transformed into learning landscapes to infrastructure-led regeneration schemes that weave SuDS into their fabric.
Among the most celebrated moments was the shortlisting of Barker Associates’ Beam Park engineering team in the Outstanding Team category. Recognised for their interdisciplinary work on one of East London’s largest regeneration sites, the team was praised for delivering integrated SuDS features that combine flood mitigation, ecological benefit, and community value. Their inclusion in the final top three underlines the level of ambition and impact the judges are seeking.
Gareth Webber (Head of Civil & Structural Engineering at Barker Associates) outlined the Beam Park project:
“Originally the site of heavy industry with Ford Motors, at Barker Associates, we’re proud to have delivered a SuDS-led engineering solution at the 31-hectare Beam Park regeneration that redefines what sustainable development can achieve.
Our integrated drainage strategy plays a vital role in alleviating pressure on the River Beam by managing both fluvial and pluvial flood risks on-site. At the centre is a 3.5-hectare flood alleviation basin, working in harmony with a connected network of swales to slow, store, and treat surface water naturally.
This is more than water management; it’s a multifunctional landscape. We’ve created accessible green spaces that support active SuDS, while enhancing biodiversity and inviting the community into a safe, attractive environment.
It’s a place where engineering, ecology, and placemaking come together to create long-term value and climate resilience.”
“Beam Park now exceeds all original aspirations in delivery.”
As extreme rainfall events become more common, conventional drainage systems are being pushed beyond their limits. SuDS offer a sustainable alternative—both technically and socially. From swales and rain gardens to attenuation basins and permeable paving, these features help developments:
SuDS are not just a regulatory checkbox; they are a core part of modern placemaking.
While SuDS have been part of UK planning policy for over a decade, uptake has been inconsistent. The SuDS Awards help to champion best practice and celebrate those pushing boundaries, providing inspiration for local authorities, developers, designers, and educators alike.
They also reflect a growing shift in the industry, from engineering drainage to designing water-sensitive environments. That shift is clear in the projects celebrated this year: those that integrate technical performance with beauty, community benefit, and sustainability.
The 2025 SuDS Awards showcased the very best in collaborative design and forward-thinking drainage solutions. For Barker Associates and the Beam Park team, the shortlisting affirms their leadership in applying SuDS not just as infrastructure, but as a vehicle for better, more resilient places.
As the climate continues to test our cities and communities, one thing is clear: the future of water management is green, inclusive, and above all, sustainable.