The regeneration of Advocate’s Close in Edinburgh has received the coveted Project of the Year Award at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Scotland Awards 2015.

Occupying an historic part of Edinburgh’s Old Town, the Advocate’s Close development has created a vibrant new quarter and added a new lease of life to the heart of the World Heritage site.

The £45 million project, designed by Morgan McDonnell Architecture, also won the Regeneration award, which honours “exceptional improvements to urban, rural or coastal areas”.

Held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Edinburgh last night, the RICS annual awards celebrate inspirational initiatives across the built environment.

Colin Smith MRICS, chair of RICS Scotland judging panel, said: “Retaining and regenerating all of the existing buildings and restoring historical building forms resulted in a development which fits well within its impressive surroundings, whilst the contemporary additions are sensitive to the historical elements. It has brought a previously derelict area of Edinburgh back in to use for both tourism and leisure.”

Eight additional category winners were selected from the 28 shortlisted entries to the awards. Other winners included, Glasgow School of Art, which took the Design through Innovation award and The Battle of Bannockburn Project, Stirling which received the Tourism and Leisure accolade.

Four category winners (Building Conservation, Community Benefit, Design through Innovation and Regeneration) will now automatically be entered in to the UK RICS Awards Grand Final, to be held at The Savoy, London in October 2015, where they will compete against projects from across the rest of the UK.

Sarah Speirs, director RICS Scotland, added: “RICS Awards in Scotland have continued to grow in quality, volume and stature. This year we achieved the highest number of entries since the Awards were launched over 11 years ago, with 42 individual project entries in Scotland and over 423 entries in the UK.

“I would like to congratulate all category winners and our Project of Year, which is a fine example of how city regeneration can help restore Scottish heritage and provide for the local and wider community.”

RICS Scotland Awards 2015 – Winners

Building Conservation (sponsored by Wise Property Care)

50 George Square, Edinburgh

Trust

Community Benefit

The Lasswade Centre (Scotland’s Schools for the Future Project)

Design through Innovation (sponsored by Forbo Flooring Systems)

Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow

Infrastructure

Clyde Gateway Infrastructure, Glasgow (sponsored by Sika Sarnafil)

Commercial (sponsored by Colleys)

NINE, Edinburgh BioQuarter,

Regeneration (sponsored by Invasive Weed Agency)

Advocate’s Close, Edinburgh

Residential (sponsored by NHBC Scotland)

Hawkhead Village, Paisley

Tourism & Leisure

The Battle of Bannockburn Project, Stirling

RICS Project of the Year, Scotland

Advocate’s Close, Edinburgh