The Edinburgh Architectural Association (EAA) awarded Allan Murray Architects’ Boroughmuir High School its top accolade at its annuals awards ceremony last night.

The Edinburgh Architectural Association Awards were announced and presented at a drinks reception in the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation attended by around one hundred architects, sponsors and their guests.

In 2017 the format of the awards was changed to enable all entries built within the chapter area, Large, Small, Regeneration & Conservation and Wood to become eligible for the highest accolade of Building Of The Year. They have also been opened up to chartered architects working in other areas of the UK, who have completed projects within the chapter area.

This year the annual EAA Student Award also was also, for the first time, presented at the ceremony. The J R Mckay Silver Medal is presented to the best 4th year student, completing their MA(Hons) course at the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA).

58 entries were submitted this year and fourteen shortlisted projects located within the Edinburgh Chapter were visited by the judging panel in April 2018.

The judging panel this year comprised of EAA Council Members, Rob Goodburn RIAS and Tom Rainey RIAS. Joining Rob and Tom were Denise Bennetts FRIAS - director of Bennetts Associates and Dallas Mechan - museums, archives and galleries manager at ON with Fife Cultural Trust.

In each category there was a clear winner, however with the standard very high a number of commendations were also given.

The full Awards results were as follows…

A silver medal is given to acknowledge and publicise excellence in architecture for a completed project within the Chapter area. It may be a new building, an extension, an alteration or a conversion, and it must have been designed by a Chartered Architect. The building of the year award winner is chosen from all shortlisted entries built within the chapter area.

WINNER: New Boroughmuir High School by Allan Murray Architects Ltd

“The judges felt that the project demonstrated skilful resolution of a complex brief. The arrangement of interlinking atria within a compact and efficient volume. How the atria organised relationship between the main entrance external public space, the assembly hall and the playground.”

The Large project award is given to acknowledge and publicise excellence in architecture for a completed project within the Chapter area with a contract sum of over £500,000. It may be a new building, an extension, an alteration or a conversion, and it must have been designed by a Chartered Architect. All shortlisted projects in the chapter area were eligible.

WINNER: New Boroughmuir High School - Allan Murray Architects Ltd

COMMENDATION: Leith Fort - Collective Architecture and Malcolm Fraser Architects

CLIENT COMMENDATION: Leith Fort - Collective Architecture and Malcolm Fraser Architects (The City of Edinburgh Council & Port of Leith Housing Association)

This Award makes an annual award for a building within the Chapter area which has been sensitively and effectively restored, converted, regenerated, extended or refurbished by a Chartered Architect, thereby encouraging the successful integration of the old and the new.

WINNER: St Cecilia’s Hall, Concert Room and Music Museum - Page \ Park Architects

COMMENDATION: Greenside – ISA

The Small Projects Award is given to acknowledge and publicise excellence in architecture for a completed project within the chapter area with a contract sum of under £500,000. It may be a new building, an extension, an alteration or a conversion and it must have been designed by a Chartered Architect.

WINNER: Porteous’ Studio - Izat Arundell

COMMENDATION: Scone Gardens - Fernandes-Binns Architects

The EAA Ambassador Award is to acknowledge and publicises excellence in architecture for a completed project outside the Chapter area. It may be a new building, an extension, an alteration or a conversion and it must have been designed by a Chartered Architect working within the EAA Chapter area.

WINNER: Perth Theatre - Richard Murphy Architects Ltd

COMMENDATION: An Crùbh - WT Architecture

The Forestry Commission Scotland and Wood for Good have combined to sponsor an award aimed at encouraging innovative and creative use of timber in new buildings in Scotland. The award seeks also to stimulate greater appreciation of home grown timber and its potential for use in construction, with added consideration given to thoughtful and appropriate use of different species. There is no restriction on building type or scale of project it must have been designed by a Chartered Architect working within the EAA Chapter area.

WINNER: Bath Street Collective Custom Build - John Kinsley Architects

The J R Mckay Silver Medal is presented to the best 4th year student, completing their MA(Hons) course at the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (ESALA). The award was presented by EAA President Julie Wilson.

WINNER: Returning the Warp at Prestongrange - Ila Colley

COMMENDATION: Civic Craft, Portobello - Kirstin Forsyth

An exhibition showcasing the building award winners and shortlisted entries is on display at the RIAS, Joyce B Deans room at 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh until 5th June 2018. It is open to the public from 9.00am until 5.00pm Monday to Friday.