BCO NextGen Ideas Competition 2026: Alla Elmahadi Wins With The Civic Stack
Alla Elmahadi won the 2026 BCO NextGen Ideas Competition with The Civic Stack, a proposal to turn unused building capacity into community space.
Last checked against official sources: 3 November 2026
* Dates and timings are subject to change, please check directly with the awards organisers.
Alla Elmahadi, architect and design manager at Procter & Gamble, has won the BCO NextGen Ideas Competition 2026 with The Civic Stack. The British Council for Offices announced the result on 23 October 2026 after a pitch final at the NatWest conference centre in London.
A Proposal to Connect Buildings and Communities
The Civic Stack proposes opening unused building capacity as accessible, affordable space for community groups. Owners or occupiers would choose what space to offer, to whom and when, through three levels of commitment.
Elmahadi was one of six finalists. The BCO reports that an audience of more than 100 and seven industry judges agreed her presentation stood out for delivery, innovation, impact and deliverability. The organiser will now assemble a BCO Incubator team to help turn the idea into a product; it is a proposal moving into development, rather than an account of completed community outcomes.
What Entrants Can Take From the Result
The result offers a useful preparation lesson: connect the idea to a specific user need and explain how it could work in practice. For your own entry, distinguish intended benefits from outcomes you have already measured. Show the problem, your proposed response and the evidence supporting its feasibility.
Read Crafting Winning Awards Entries for help making that argument clear. The official announcement also names the other finalists and their concepts.
Sources
- Official BCO winner announcement: winner, employer, concept, final, judging and planned incubator support.