TWO distilleries, Scotland’s first Passivhaus-certified primary school in Perth, and a North Lanarkshire community hub are among 21 projects shortlisted by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) for the 2025 RIAS Awards.
Other nominated projects include the conservation of an A-listed castle on the banks of Loch Ness and a sculptural new build home that wraps around an existing rockface in the Outer Hebrides.
All 21 projects will now be visited by the 2025 RIAS Awards jury, which includes Ann Nisbet (founder, Ann Nisbet Studio), Craig Hamilton (founding director, Craig Hamilton Architects) and Caroline Grewar (programme director, V&A Dundee) – chaired by Jessam Al-Jawad (director, Al-Jawad Pike Architects).
Following this, the winners will be announced at the end of May. As in previous years, the winning projects will also make up the ‘longlist’ for the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award. Recipients of the 2025 RIAS Awards are also eligible for recognition in the current Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Awards.
Tamsie Thomson, chief executive of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, said, “I am thrilled to see such an exciting variety of projects on this year’s shortlist. Year on year, we strive to encourage entries from all corners of Scotland, and these 21 projects offer a fantastic representation of exceptional design thinking in rural and urban settings. The strength of this shortlist is the diversity of project types, which provide people from all walks of life with high-quality, sustainable, and innovative architecture for working, learning, and living.
“I am very much looking forward to joining our judges as they visit each of the shortlisted projects next month, as they have the undoubtedly tough task of choosing our winners. It will be an honour to celebrate our winning practices and projects at our awards ceremony in the spring.”
The 2025 RIAS Awards shortlisted projects are:
- Adam Smith Building, University of Glasgow by Hassell
- Aldourie Castle Estate, Highlands by Ptolemy Dean Architects
- Athron Hill – Phases 1 & 2, Kinross by Fraser/Livingstone Architects
- Caochan na Creige, Isle of Harris by Izat Arundell
- Chryston Community Hub, North Lanarkshire by Ryder Architecture
- Dundreggan Rewilding Centre, Highlands by Threesixty Architecture
- Ellegowan Regeneration, Dundee by Collective Architecture
- Fairburn Tower, Highlands by Simpson & Brown
- Gairnshiel Jubilee Bridge, Aberdeenshire by Moxon Architects
- Gartnerichnich Cottage, Stirling by Dualchas Architects
- Harmeny Outdoor Learning Hub, Edinburgh by Loader Monteith & Studio SJM Architects
- HMP & YOI Stirling by Holmes Miller Architects
- Kilmartin Museum, Argyll and Bute by Reiach and Hall Architects
- Kinloch Lodge, Highland by GRAS
- Riverside Primary School, Perth by Architype
- Rock Cove, Argyll and Bute by CameronWebster Architects
- Rosebank Distillery, Falkirk by MLA
- The Nucleus Building, University of Edinburgh by Sheppard Robson
- The Port of Leith Distillery, Edinburgh by Threesixty Architecture
- The Seed, Dundee by Kirsty Maguire Architect
- Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen by Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design & LDA Design
