A&DS and RIAS Scottish Student Awards for Architecture 2025

(May) The Architecture and Design Scotland & RIAS Student Awards are back for 2025. Submissions for this year's student awards are now closed. We are delighted to have received such a high standard of entries. Our judging panel now has the tough task of reviewing the entries, and we will announce the winners later in the year.

The A&DS and RIAS Scottish Student Awards provide a place to bring together the five schools of architecture in Scotland to celebrate the continuing high standards of Scottish architecture. It ensures that both construction professionals and the public can enjoy the creativity and vision of Scotland's future architects.

You can check out the winners of the A&DS & RIAS Student Awards for Architecture 2024 awards HERE. To hear past winners talk about their projects and what they are up to now, take a look at the Past Winners Zoom recording HERE.

2025 submissions details

The 2025 awards submissions are now closed. FULL SUBMISSION DETAILS AND AWARDS CRITERIA CAN BE FOUND HERE.

Deadline: 27 June at 12PM

NOTE: Students must be RIAS members to submit an entry. As a student member, you can join the RIAS for free here.

1) RIAS Rowand Anderson Silver Medal for Best 5th (or Final) Year Student 

Open to 5th (or final) year only - although an individual prize, if students have worked within groups in the 5th (or final) year, group work can be submitted alongside individual work to demonstrate the full breadth of the student’s work. Groups cannot win the RIAS Silver Medal, but group work is eligible for both the A&DS Designing in a Changing Climate Award and the RIAS Andy MacMillan Award. Group work, whether research sheets or the entire project, should be clearly marked.

Work submitted must be from 5th (or final) year, academic year 2023-2024.

2) Architecture and Design Scotland Award for Best 3rd Year Student 

Open to 3rd year only - although an individual prize, if students are working within groups, group work can be submitted alongside individual work to demonstrate the full breadth of the student’s work. Groups cannot win the Architecture and Design Scotland Best 3rd Year Award, but group work is eligible for both the A&DS Designing in a Changing Climate Award and the RIAS Andy MacMillan Drawing Award. Group work, whether research sheets or the entire project, should be clearly marked.

Work submitted must be from 3rd year, academic year 2023-2024.

3) Architecture and Design Scotland Urban Design Award

Open to all years - group work and individual work can be submitted. As a group or individual submission Architecture and Design Scotland Urban Design Award nominees will be eligible for both the A&DS Designing in a Changing Climate Award and the RIAS Andy MacMillan Drawing Award.

Work submitted must be from students’ academic year 2023-2024 and must demonstrate an approach to urban context issues, master planning or urban/townscape design – not individual buildings within the town or cityscape! (Note: Individual building designs will be disqualified). Group work, whether research sheets or the entire project, should be clearly marked.

4) Architecture and Design Scotland Designing in a Changing Climate Award

Open to all years (individuals and groups) – this is not a separate entry and is selected from categories 1–3. This award looks at architectural responses to the climate emergency.

5) The RIAS Andy MacMillan Drawing Award

Open to all years - this is not a separate entry and is selected from the three categories above.