One of the UK's most exciting and innovative examples of building conservation - the Court 15 Back to Back project in Birmingham - is a regional winner in this year's RICS Building Awards.

It is now automatically shortlisted for a national award, to be announced on October 7.

The highly successful scheme is responsible for restoring the last remaining courtyard of early 19th century back to backs in Birmingham - a city that once had thousands of such homes.

Originally built between 1802 and 1831, back to backs were designed to accommodate the rapidly increasing working population of Britain's expanding industrial towns.

The restored Court 15 site lies at the corner of Inge Street and Hurst Street and is Grade II listed. It comprises three pairs of back to backs, with a terrace of blind back houses arranged around a central courtyard along with the communal washing and lavatory facilities.

Despite their central location, close to New Street Station and the Birmingham Hippodrome theatre, the traditional workers' homes, with just one room per floor, had fallen into serious structural disrepair and were declared unfit for human habitation in 1965.

In response to strong local pressure to conserve these homes as part of the city's social history, the Birmingham Conservation Trust raised £1.87 million to fund and undertake their restoration.

Following their completion, the National Trust took over the management of Court 15 and prepared the homes for their public opening in July last year.

Elizabeth Perkins, Birmingham Conservation Trust administrator, said: "We are delighted to have achieved this regional award as recognition of our accomplishment in bringing this forgotten part of Birmingham back to life.

"This has been made possible by our partnership with the National Trust which is now preserving this piece of social history for the benefit and enjoyment of everyone."

Richard Moxon, RICS Midlands regional chairman, added: "Court 15 is building conservation at its best - providing a vibrant example of what life was like in years gone by and preserving some of the country's last remaining back to back homes for posterity."

Other regional winners shortlisted for a national RICS Building Award include the Coventry lighting strategy, a regeneration project led by Coventry City Council, and the Severn Centre, a community- led building project in Shropshire.