A host of Sussex buildings were awarded top gongs for design at a prestigious ceremony last night.

Brighton Waste House, at the University of Brighton, Chichester Festival Theatre and the Church of St Botolph in Steyning, were all recognised at the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) South East Regional Awards in Surrey.

The Waste House, which opened in 2013, is on the university campus in Grand Parade.

It is thought to be the first house made entirely of waste products and was designed by Duncan Baker-Brown from BBM Sustainable Design.

Cat Fletcher, from Brighton Freegle, was chief scavenger for the project and gathered most of the waste materials, which varied from toothbrushes to old plywood, for the house.

Duncan Baker-Brown was handed an Argus Achievement Award for his work on the project.

Judges said: “From a distance this looks like an ordinary contemporary town house. However when one gets nearer and sees carpet tiles used as wall cladding, it becomes clear this is a project with an interesting agenda.

“More than a space to live, work and play in, the house is a collective of experiments in which students learn by application the ways whereby recycled materials can be used in construction.

“It is clear this interesting project will continue to question important issues of recycling that affect everyone.”

The refurbishment of Chichester Festival Theatre was also recognised last night with an award.

The venue reopened in July last year following an 18 month £22 million refurbishment which saw architects Haworth Tompkins strip away post–1962 additions to the original design.

They put in two new cafes, an extended bar, a bigger foyer and a hugely extended backstage area.

The judges said: “The expectations of design excellence were very high before visiting this restored theatre, and they were exceeded in every way.

“This is a true master-class in how to restore and augment an existing iconic building. The result is a wonderful exemplar of modern design, which far exceeds the original ambition of the theatre.”

Among the other Sussex award winners was the Church of St Botolph, Steyning, which got the Regional Conservation Award.

Judges said: “Having a deep understanding of the building allowed the architect and client to carefully choose the areas of conservation and repair that would enable the building to once again function as a place of worship.

"The result is a beautifully reserved and charming church, which demonstrates a masterclass of historic building conservation.”

The ceremony, held at the Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands, was compered by Piers Taylor, presenter of the BBC2 series The House That £100k Built.