The Deck Access Housing Design Guide: A Return to Streets in The Sky by Andrew Beharrell and Rory Olcayto (published by Routledge) has won the Architectural Guide of the Year 2024 at The Architectural Book Awards.

The Awards recognise outstanding contributions to architectural literature, innovative research, exceptional writing, and impactful design. The winners were selected from a competitive pool of entries, reflecting the highest standards of excellence in the field.

Dr Stephen Games, editor of Booklaunch and founder of the Architectural Book Awards, praised the awards for highlighting works that not only open our eyes to what architecture can achieve but do so fluently and readably—a quality not always apparent in architectural discussion. He also thanked the judges, who carry out their assessments anonymously, in order not to divert attention from the winning books and authors and towards their own celebrity, as frequently happens with other book prizes.

According to Stephen Games, "This year's winners exemplify the remarkable depth and breadth of architectural literature. As we celebrate the second year of the Architectural Book Awards, it is wonderful to highlight the vital role that books play in advancing our understanding and appreciation of architecture."

The prize-giving ceremony for the Architectural Book Awards took place on Tuesday evening, 23 July. Each year, the venue for the ceremony is an exceptional piece of new architecture, to provide a suitable setting for exceptional pieces of new architectural writing. This year's venue was the Maggie's cancer support centre attached to St Bart's Hospital, off Smithfield, near St Paul's Cathedral.