The 2025 Sir Misha Black Award for Innovation in Design Education recognises Victoria Thornton and the Thornton Education Trust (TET) for transforming how young people engage with architecture, sustainability, and civic design.

Building on her legacy as founder of Open House/Open City, Thornton created TET in 2020 to empower the next generation to shape the environments they will inherit. TET’s programmes, including the Inspire Future Generation Awards and its Knowledge Hub, connect educators, policymakers, and design professionals to share best practice and give young people a meaningful voice in the built environment. TET has also recently launched the Imagine Built Environment Education programme, a new initiative designed to bring architecture and the built environment into primary schools across the UK.

Thornton’s distinguished career includes leadership roles with the Architectural Association, the RIBA Royal Gold Medal Jury, and national design initiatives such as the Farrell Review. Her work has been recognised with an OBE for Services to Architecture and Education, an Honorary RIBA Fellowship, and an Honorary MA from London Metropolitan University.
https://www.thorntoneducationt...