College and university campus designs reign supreme in this year’s list of the best buildings in the U.K., according to the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Eleven of the 46 RIBA National Awards were given to new academic building projects, RIBA announced Thursday (June 23). Recipients include a new shimmering stainless steel library at an Oxford college by the late Zaha Hadid’s firm and an elegant new college on the Wirral that acts as an “essay in construction” for its students as more than 300 helped to build it.

Images courtesy of RIBA / Luke Hayes

The late Zaha Hadid's firm directed the design of the Investcorp Building for St. Anthony's College in Oxford.

“The RIBA National Awards are a great indicator of U.K. design, economic and construction trends,” said RIBA President Jane Duncan.

“As universities and colleges in the U.K. are competing for students from here and overseas, it is encouraging to see so much emphasis placed on the power of architecture to help institutions to attract students and stand out from the mediocre.”

Paul Miller

The Wirral Metropolitan College (Birkenhead, England) by Glenn Howells Architects, was also named among the National Award winners. More than 300 students helped to build the industrial-looking structure.

In addition to academic structures, new housing developments, museums and music halls were listed among the winners. Click here to view the list.

RIBA says the list will be shaved down to a six-project shortlist for the coveted RIBA Stirling Prize, which honors the country’s best building of the year. The winning project will be announced Oct. 6.