A public realm project in Aberdeen, a rural infrastructure scheme that preserves a bridge in Glengairn, a new education building for University of Edinburgh, and the restoration of a historic landmark in the Highlands have all been shortlisted for the 2025 RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award.
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has announced the finalists for what is described as ‘Scotland’s foremost annual architecture prize’.
The four shortlisted projects are as follows:
Fairburn Tower (Muir of Ord, Highlands) by Simpson & Brown
Built in the 16th Century and added to in the 17th, this remote A-listed structure is a rare example of a surviving tower house from the Scottish Renaissance. Having fallen into a state of disrepair, it was on the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland before the Landmark Trust identified the potential to rescue the tower and transform it into a self-catering holiday let. The design balanced authentic restoration of Scotland’s built heritage with a creative retrofit and reuse approach. Challenges such as installing electrical cabling, plumbing and bathrooms were overcome. Key features include a Renaissance-style painted ceiling, created in collaboration with artist-craftsman Paul Mowbray.
Gairnshiel Jubilee Bridge (Glengairn, Aberdeenshire) by Moxon Architects
The Gairnshiel Jubilee Bridge provides a new route over the River Gairn, diverting traffic away from the A-listed Gairnshiel Bridge immediately upstream, as this was no longer suitable for modern-day traffic and detours were causing lengthy delays. The new crossing features a slim-line geometry. Its material palette includes recycled, locally sourced granite for the parapets and embankments and weathering steel for the primary structure.
The Nucleus Building, University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh) by Sheppard Robson
The building provides a focal point and meeting place for students and staff, uniting a variety of teaching, learning and social environments. From quiet individual focus to collaboration, this diverse array of spaces allows the building to support different ways of studying, teaching and socialising. The Nucleus Building has been hailed as a ‘considered, enduring and generous’ example of civic architecture, that responds to a multifaceted brief and sets a ‘powerful precedent’ for Scottish university design.
Union Terrace Gardens (Aberdeen) by Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design & LDA Design
This public realm regeneration project has revived Aberdeen’s key public space. Three lantern-like pavilions sit in harmony with their historic context, and accommodate a café, restaurant and wine bar. The project also delivers landscape and engineering work, enriched with conservation elements including the sensitively restored statues, railings, arcade arches and subterranean Victorian toilets.
Established in 2002, the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award borrows its name from Scottish architect/developer Andy Doolan who believed in the importance of promoting great design and making architecture accessible to everyone. In his memory, the Doolan Award seeks to find and celebrate the best building in Scotland each year, with ongoing support from the Scottish Government.
Mary Duggan, chair of the 2025 Doolan Award jury, said, “This year’s rigorous selection process has produced a diverse shortlist of intelligent schemes that not only demonstrate architectural excellence but also engage directly with the shifting political and behavioural circumstances that shape our public life. They reveal how architecture can reinforce, respond to, and even anticipate these changes. I look forward to the upcoming visits and the conversations with my fellow jury members.”
