Our work with Network Rail wins prestigious Brunel Award
Following Network Rail's prestigious Brunel Award Win for their Design Guidance Suite, Associate Max Breese writes on our collaborative work with Network Rail creating them between 2020 and 2025.
WW+P has been instrumental in delivering a five-year project that is reshaping how Britain designs and delivers its rail infrastructure. Commissioned by Network Rail’s Technical Authority – Buildings & Architecture, the new Design Guidance Suite spans over thirty manuals and recently won a prestigious Brunel Award.
What we did
WW+P produced the initial tranche of seven manuals, establishing the structure, tone and format of the entire suite, and with our later commissions we completed a total of fourteen manuals. We prioritised legibility, ease of use and consistency and later led the development of key volumes, including Masterplanning at Stations and Materials and Components. Drawing on decades of transport design experience, we combined stakeholder insights, international best practice, targeted research, and our own expertise to ensure the manuals are practical, authoritative and engaging.
We helped develop the format, working with the Design Council, that makes the guidance clear and intuitive for all users. Toolkits, process diagrams, case studies and interactive hyperlinks were integrated to ensure the suite is both informative and accessible to audiences ranging from commissioning clients to on-the-ground contractors.
The manuals were developed through a highly collaborative process, including structured workshops with Network Rail and wider industry experts. These workshops gave stakeholders the opportunity to share lessons learned, provide input, and test drafts. We also carried out one-to-one sessions, page-turn reviews, and final refinements to build ownership and advocacy among contributors.
Why it matters
The Design Guidance Suite is a major step change for Network Rail and the wider industry. It provides a common language for “good design” across all scales and stages: from visioning and stakeholder engagement to detailed technical delivery. By setting out clear principles, the manuals reduce inefficiency, minimise costly redesigns, and share knowledge across the industry so teams can learn collectively rather than in isolation.
Common designs and specifications improve the quality and performance of components such as toilets, footbridges, canopies, furniture and platforms, ensuring higher and more reliable standards nationwide.
Material guidance encourages durable materials, sustainable design and stations that are embedded within their communities, enhancing public realm and local identity.
The suite is accessible to different user groups, with signposting, toolkits and case studies making it easy to navigate regardless of technical expertise. Further to this the manuals embed methods for engaging communities, identifying needs and involving local supply chains, helping projects deliver real social and economic benefits beyond transport alone.
Ultimately, the suite is more than a set of manuals, it’s a framework for consistently excellent outcomes in rail infrastructure. It ensures that teams have the tools to deliver welcoming, resilient and efficient stations, while supporting local economies and communities.
For passengers, it means better journeys through better places. For operators, it means durable, efficient assets and it signals a shift towards railway architecture that is consistent, innovative and of lasting value for all.
With the Design Manual suite now published, the collaborative work has helped set the benchmark for design across Britain’s railways, providing clarity, ambition and we hope for it to become blueprint for others across the sector to follow.
See more: Network Rail Design Guidance | WW+P
