The Scottish Borders Council award scheme was first established in 1984, and has since run every second year, showcasing some of the best new building designs and renovations in the region, with the aim of inspiring the highest quality future designs and sustainable developments.

This year’s winners are:

NEW BUILD - RESIDENTIAL

• Winner: Beekeeper’s House, Roxburgh
• Client: Kate Atchley
• Designed by: ZONE Architects
• Constructed by: Gibson and Hall

The judges said: “The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail is evident throughout The Beekeeper’s House and elevates the overall quality of the design. The simple palette of materials have been locally-sourced and are well executed. It has been built with high levels of airtightness and insulation and is heated by an air-source heat pump powered by a solar array that has been designed carefully as part of the roofscape. It sits well in its plot, engaging with the surrounding garden, wider landscape and village context. It is a bespoke building clearly designed for – and reflective of - the client’s brief, whilst also offering flexibility and adaptability of use.”

NEW BUILD - COMMERCIAL

• Winner: Great Tapestry of Scotland, Galashiels
• Client: Scottish Borders Council
• Designed by: Page \ Park Architects
• Constructed by: Ogilvie Construction

The judges said: “This is a flagship building set in a highly sustainable location, which makes a strong contribution to revitalising the Galashiels High Street. The integration of the old post office is a very positive move which has helped save this important listed building and reduced the embodied energy of the project. The radical new addition celebrates the textile industry of the area and adds a new layer of architectural richness to the conservation area. Its playful folded design breaks down the building’s large massing to sit comfortably in its context, whilst the interior of the main gallery is an unexpected and uplifting space.”

• Commendation: Jedburgh Grammar Campus
• Client: Scottish Borders Council
• Designed by: Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design Ltd.
• Constructed by: BAM Construction

The judges said: “The school campus enables integration, both in terms of community, nursery, primary and secondary education coming together on one site and in terms of how students interact and learn together. The building has been designed to facilitate this and to enable flexibility of use, which has come into its own during the pandemic. The building is designed to deliver good energy performance and promote high levels of natural light and air quality. The building makes the most of the difficult topography to minimise the impact of large volume spaces, to enable interaction between indoors and outdoors at all levels and create a visually striking approach.”

PLACEMAKING

• Winner: Caerlee Mill, Innerleithen
• Client: Whiteburn Caerlee LLP
• Designed by: Whiteburn Projects Ltd.
• Constructed by: Whiteburn Projects Ltd.

The judges said: “Caerlee Mill is an exciting development which provides positive proof that – through collaboration, good design and with a little imagination – new housing can be delivered differently: The mix of house types deliver a good level of density but the site does not feel cramped and has strong links back to Innerleithen. Designing Streets has been implemented successfully to provide safe streets, where cars do not dominate and where the community have taken ownership of the public realm. A strong sense of identity has been created using a palette of materials that responds to its context, reflects the site’s industrial heritage and does not fall back on the conventional tropes. The sense of community that this fresh approach has fostered was clearly evident.”

WORKS TO EXISTING BUILDING

• Winner: Stow Station House
• Client: Stow Community Trust
• Designed by: Aitken Turnbull Architects Ltd.
• Constructed by: James Swinton & Company Ltd.

The judges said: “This aspirational community-driven project - which will provide a much needed focal point for the Stow community – has achieved a lot on a very small scale and in the face of necessarily heavy set surrounding railway infrastructure. The incorporated cycle hub and rail-side location provide multiple transport options. The restoration of the historic building has been undertaken in a very sensitive manner. The new extension is unapologetically modern but respectful of the old building.”

• Commendation: Compact Accessible House, Kelso
• Client: Christine Hamilton
• Designed by: Chambers McMillan Architects
• Constructed by: Craig and Mark Logan Joinery

The judges said: “The owner’s vision, ambition and love for the existing building were clear in this project, which achieves a lot within a modest footprint and modest budget. The building presents a series of interlinked areas which maximise use and perception of space in a tight town centre location. It showcases the ability for buildings to be adapted and the inherent sustainability of that re-use in terms of embodied carbon. A clever small scale project.

Councillor Simon Mountford, SBC’s executive member for enhancing the built environment and natural heritage, congratulated the winners and said: “The entries for this year’s awards have shown an exceptionally high quality of building design right across the Scottish Borders.

“The judges have certainly not had an easy task in selecting the winners and hopefully the winning and commended designs will inspire future projects in the region and beyond.

“A high quality built environment is vitally important to our aim to deliver places where people want to live, work and visit.”

In recognition of the climate emergency, this year’s awards put increased emphasis on sustainability and this criterion was embedded in all categories.

A total of 27 entries were received across the various categories. The independent judging panel was chaired by John Fordyce of the Borders Distillery, with Richard Slipper representing the Royal Town Planning Institute Scotland and Kerry Nicol representing the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.