The Awards are one of the Scottish Government's most prestigious events and celebrate achievements in planning, from strategic visions to development on the ground
RIAS Doolan Award for Best Building in Scotland
Inaugurated in 2002 by Andrew Doolan, a respected architect and developer/hotelier, this award is given annually to the best building in Scotland.
Following the untimely death of Andrew Doolan in 2004, we joined in partnership with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) and the Doolan family to ensure that the RIAS Doolan Award for Best Building in Scotland continues its role in recognising outstanding achievement.
The Scottish Government contributes £25,000 annually to the award as a way of highlighting and celebrating excellence as well as generating debate around the concept of architectural quality.
Scottish Civic Trust Award
Following the closure of the (UK) Civic Trust, with whom we had established a new Award for Place-making in Scotland in 2008, we have been working with Scottish Civic Trust on the development of a new Award. The scheme will be Scotland specific, and will run over two years initially; 2009-10 and 2010-11.
The Scottish Civic Trust Award will be unique in Scotland as it will be a national celebration of good local design and conservation as nominated and evaluated by local people. It is not intended to be a "professional merit" award. Instead, it aims to identify and commend proposals that have had a positive impact in a local neighbourhood and has delivered positive benefits to that local community. Developments that do come forward will be assessed on their architectural, heritage, and/or place-making benefits. An announcement on the Award will be made around the start of 2010.
Saltire Society Housing Design Awards
The Scottish Government provides support for the annual Saltire Society Housing Design Awards scheme to highlight the best new housing from both the public and private sectors.
The Saltire Society was founded in 1936 to promote Scotland's cultural identity through such aspects as the built environment, literature, music and education, and the Society introduced its Housing Design Awards in 1937. The scheme was originally concerned with vernacular design and rewarded projects that the panel felt contributed to keeping the traditions of rural house building alive. Over the last 65 years the concerns of the panel have changed with the requirements of the housing market and broader social and political concerns. The Awards Scheme is in line with government policy on design quality and has for many years enjoyed the support of government.
Funding from The Scottish Government for the Housing Design Awards Scheme currently stands at £15,000.