A community library, a tower house transformation, and the refurbishment of the Scottish Galleries at the National are among the winners of the RICS Awards 2024 in Scotland.
The winning projects, announced at the regional ceremony in Edinburgh Futures Institute, were judged across five categories; Residential Development, Community Benefit, Heritage, Public Sector, Refurbishment-Revitalisation.
The winning projects in Scotland are:
- The Thomas Graham Community Library – Community Benefit Project
- University of Strathclyde, The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) – Public Sector Project
- Rowanbank Gardens – Residential Development
- Fairburn Tower – Heritage Project
- Scottish Galleries at the National – Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project
The RICS Awards showcase the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. The regional winners have now been shortlisted for the RICS Awards Grand Final, taking place in The Park Plaza Riverbank, London on Friday 4th October. Each project will compete at national level, with one of the national winning projects being awarded the ultimate accolade of Project of the Year.
Colin Smith, chair of the Scotland RICS Awards judging panel, said, “These winning projects are a true testament to the hard work and dedication of industry professionals in Scotland. The talent and collaborative approaches undertaken by the teams behind these projects have resulted in exemplary and innovative schemes that really do represent the very best built projects across Scotland. RICS is delighted to recognise the hard work that went behind ensuring these projects were delivered successfully and I wish the winning projects the best of luck in the grand final later this year.”
The Thomas Graham Community Library (Community Benefit Project)
Fleming Buildings,on behalf of Strathblane Community Development Trust (SCDT), embarked on a project to create a new community library to replace the village’s library facility, a 124 sq metre dilapidated 40-year-old portacabin. The new library is described as a ‘striking’ building with advanced net zero carbon energy system – a partnership between SCDT and Stirling Council.
University of Strathclyde, The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) (Public Sector Project)
In June 2023, the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), operated by the University of Strathclyde, opened its flagship facility at the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS). Acting as a magnet for advanced manufacturing, the operationally carbon-neutral campus supports manufacturing, engineering, and associated technology businesses of all sizes. This project was nominated by MGAC, a global project and cost management consultancy.
Rowanbank Gardens (Residential Development)
Artisan Real Estate’s Rowanbank Gardens site in Corstorphine, Edinburgh is the firm’s second major residential development in Scotland and is delivering 126 sustainable homes – including 25% affordable and a significant proportion of family housing. Hailed as a ‘spectacular blueprint for low carbon living’ the development will feature 93 apartments for private sale set around a large shared courtyard and garden space filled with fruit trees and communal planting beds.
Fairburn Tower (Heritage Project)
Fairburn Tower is a rare example of a surviving tower house from the Scottish Renaissance situated to the north west of Inverness. The tower sat as a ruin for over 100 years and was on the Buildings at Risk register, until it was identified by the Landmark Trust as an opportunity to add to its portfolio of holiday homes. The project saw the A-listed tower transformed from a roofless ruin into high quality holiday accommodation, using appropriate traditional materials and craftsmanship whilst integrating necessary modern services.
Scottish Galleries at the National (Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project sponsored by HD Sharmans)
In 2014, Hoskins Architects won the competitive tender to redevelop the Scottish Collection Gallery on The Mound, Edinburgh. Extensively reworking an area of 1970s office accommodation and the adjacent Scottish Collection gallery, as well as connecting to the 2004 Weston link, the team has doubled the available exhibition space and created new circulation routes to the A-listed gallery above, whilst forming a new façade onto Princes Street Gardens, with extensive landscaping enhancing accessibility to the garden entrance.
