RICS names Rowanbank Gardens among best new developments in Scotland

Taking home the prize for best Residential Development was Rowanbank Gardens in Corstorphine, Edinburgh.

Delivered by commercial and residential developer Artisan Real Estate, Rowanbank Gardens 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 high-quality development is on track for completion in spring 2024, with 93 apartments for private sale set around a large shared courtyard and garden space filled with fruit trees and communal planting beds.

The other winning projects, which were announced at the regional ceremony in Edinburgh Futures Institute, were as follows:

• The Thomas Graham Community Library (Community Benefit Project)

Fleming Buildings on behalf of Strathblane Community Development Trust (SCDT) embarked on a major project to create a new community library to replace the village’s library facility, a 124 sq metre dilapidated 40-year-old portacabin. Despite its size, age and limited opening hours, Strathblane Library is one of the council’s busiest rural libraries.

The new library is a striking modern building with advanced net zero carbon energy system – a partnership between SCDT and Stirling Council. The first community-council partnership to deliver library services in Scotland: a blend of charitable and donor finance, community enterprise and local authority expertise.

• 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 new, world-class flagship facility at the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS). The goal? To be a major stimulus for the country’s economy and skills development. Acting as a magnet for advanced manufacturing in Scotland and across the globe, the operationally carbon-neutral campus supports manufacturing, engineering, and associated technology businesses of all sizes for decades to come. This project was nominated by MGAC, a global project and cost management consultancy operating across the UK, US, and Canada.

• 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 a hundred years and was on the Buildings at Risk register, until it was identified by the Landmark Trust as an opportunity to add to their portfolio of unique holiday homes around the United Kingdom. The project saw the Category A listed tower transformed from a roofless ruin into high quality holiday accommodation, using appropriate traditional materials and craftsmanship whilst carefully 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, dated 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 Category A listed gallery above, whilst forming a new façade onto Princes Street Gardens, with extensive landscaping enhancing accessibility to the garden entrance. The project delivered a world-class gallery space to display the large collection of Scottish works in the Scottish National Collection.

The RICS Awards showcase the most inspirational initiatives and developments in land, real estate, construction and infrastructure. They recognise outstanding achievement, teamwork and companies.

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.”