A Falkirk distillery, a self-build home in the Outer Hebrides, and a primary school in Perth are among the winners of a Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) special category award for 2025.
The awards are a further accolade for each project, which have already won a RIAS Award.
The special category awards winners are:
Architectural heritage award – sponsored by VELUX
Rosebank Distillery, Falkirk by MLA
Once considered lost, the Rosebank Distillery has been brought back to life following its closure in 1993. The jury was impressed by the depth of engagement and ambition shown by the design team, who navigated constraints including contamination, conservation, coal mining risk and listed structures. What emerges is an ‘elegant and intelligent’ interplay of old and new.
Architectural interior award – sponsored by Laurence McIntosh
Caochan na Crege, Isle of Harris by Izat Arundell
This self-build home in the Outer Hebrides is a project by young practice Izat Arundell. The interiors are ‘restrained but richly textured’, with warm-toned lime plaster walls, polished concrete floors embedded with local aggregate, Scottish larch ceilings and beech joinery. Artworks collected by the couple are positioned in carefully planned locations, and each room has a distinct character.
Innovation award – sponsored by TCM Capital
HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Stirling by Holmes Miller Architects
This ‘ambitious and quietly radical’ project replaces HMP & YOI Cornton Vale, and is said to mark a ‘fundamental rethinking’ of custodial environments in Scotland. Working in close collaboration with the Scottish Prison Service and the Cornton Vale management team, the architects developed a new model from the ground up, creating a campus of carefully arranged pavilions embedded within the landscape, supporting women in custody through spaces that promote ‘dignity, equality and meaningful rehabilitation’.
Client of the year award – sponsored by The Survey Association
Sustainability award – sponsored by Lùths Services
Riverside Primary School, Perth by Architype
Riverside Primary is the first Passivhaus-certified school in Scotland, and has been underpinned by a brief to combine the client’s ‘modern and supportive pedagogy’ with the Passivhaus standard and the use of natural and non-toxic materials. The judges said “it is clear that the client had a bold vision and an aspiration to create a truly sustainable learning environment and this has been successfully delivered on a modest budget, which makes the achievement even more worthy of an award.”
Project architect of the year – sponsored by Equitone
Julie Barklie at Simpson & Brown Architects for Fairburn Tower
The restoration of Fairburn Tower – a remotely located A-listed structure near Muir of Ord in the Highlands – is said to demonstrate the highest conservation credentials in every aspect of its design and execution. Enormous care has been taken in dealing with converting the tower for holiday letting for The Landmark Trust while retaining the ‘atmosphere and charm’ of the building. The judges said it should serve as an example of how to provide innovative design and construction and a sustainable approach to Scotland’s built heritage.
Timber award – sponsored by Confor and TDUK
Aldourie Castle, Loch Ness by Ptolemy Dean Architects
This five-year project involved the conservation of the A-listed Aldourie Castle alongside the restoration of surrounding estate buildings and the design of new ones – including an energy centre, a boathouse and a pedestrian bridge. Traditional materials and craft building skills were employed, including locally sourced and sustainable materials such as estate-grown timber. The judges said that “in terms of execution, the conservation, restoration and new work have been completed to an exemplary level.”
Tamsie Thomson, chief executive of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland said, “Every year the RIAS special awards recognise projects that push boundaries in terms of their sustainability, interior design, care for Scotland’s heritage and use of timber, and recognise the crucial role that talented project architects and committed clients play in the delivery of successful buildings.
“The RIAS is extremely grateful to the sponsors of the special category awards – Confor, Equitone, Laurence McIntosh, Lùths Services, TCM Capital, The Survey Association, Timber Development UK and VELUX. Thanks to their generous support we are able to celebrate these exceptional buildings, their architects and clients, and hopefully excite and inspire others in Scotland and beyond. Many congratulations to this year’s winners.”
