Designing the future
Winners of the A&DS and RIAS Scottish Student Awards for Architecture 2025 announced
(2 October 2025) The winners of the 2025 Architecture and Design Scotland and Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Scottish Student Awards for Architecture have been announced. The winning projects included ideas on tackling the climate emergency through reusing materials, public housing development and responding to urban sprawl.
Politics of heritage
The winning and commended students were announced at the annual Andy MacMillan Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, 1 October at Civic House in Glasgow. The lecture entitled Who Gets to Save What? Looked at the ownership of heritage and the politics of adaptive reuse. Chaired by Natasha Huq, the panellists Lily Erskine and Phil Long explored the contested terrain of architectural preservation.
Using the recent sale of the Bernat Klein Studio as a starting point, the conversation examined how heritage is shaped not just by cultural value, but by questions of ownership, access, and agency. At the heart of the debate was a critical question: who owns heritage—and who gets to decide its future?
Student awards
This year’s awards saw over 70 entries from the five Scottish schools for architecture. The entries included projects that span various environments such as cities, rural and island settings. The submissions this year continue to push the boundaries of how design can contribute to a more sustainable future.
Karen Anderson, PPRIAS RIBA FRSE, President of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, said, “The A&DS and RIAS Scottish Student Awards for Architecture are a vital celebration of emerging talent and fresh thinking in our profession. They offer a platform for students to share bold ideas and challenge conventional approaches, reminding us of the transformative power of architecture. By showcasing student work, we not only recognise individual excellence—we also reaffirm our collective commitment to nurturing the next generation of architects who will shape a more equitable, sustainable and imaginative built environment.”
Steve Malone, Director of Design at Architecture and Design Scotland said:
“The Student Awards are an excellent way for us to showcase the talent that exists across Scotland’s schools of architecture and the bright future that the sector has ahead. It has been a pleasure to see the creativity that the students have put towards tackling the significant issues of our times and their approach to creating a more sustainable place for us all to live in and enjoy.”
The judging panel consisted of:
Mhairi Grant, Paper Igloo
Ashley Mullen, Scottish Government
Lynn Wilson, Architecture and Design Scotland
The winning projects
Four projects were awarded the top prizes across five categories.
Emelie Christina Fraser, Mackintosh School of Architecture was awarded the Rowand Anderson Silver Medal for best 5th year student for her project O Parque Dos Mortos, which explored how architects can approach memory and burial in a sensitive way.
The judges said “that the project is a standout example of architectural sensitivity and technical excellence, tackling a rarely addressed but deeply important subject with grace and clarity. […] Stunning, soft-textured drawings and convincing technical detail elevate this project into a compelling and memorable architectural statement. This was a stand-out – when we saw it, we wished this building existed.”
In the category “Designing in a changing climate” which aims to highlight projects with a strong climate, reuse and environmental focus, Modern Ancestor by Eilidh McGuigan, University of Strathclyde took the top prize. Judges praised its quiet impact, cultural sensitivity, and exemplary delivery of sustainable design principles.
The Architecture and Design Scotland award for the best 3rd year student was awarded to Hannah Bendon, Edinburgh School or Architecture and Landscape Architecture, for the project Foraged Construction. It was described as a well-researched and future-focused proposal that presents a phased strategy for sustainable development, grounded in material reuse, community involvement, and skill-building, and a solid and believable response to long-term architectural challenges.
The Architecture and Design Scotland Urban Design Award was awarded to Struan Morrison, University of Strathclyde for his project Intencity. This project presents a truly coherent and technically detailed vision that positions sustainability as a social responsibility, while creatively activating existing urban space. Judges praised its clarity, ambition, and the human-centered way it connects art, design, and environmental stewardship.
The RIAS Andy MacMillan Drawing Award was awarded to Emelie Christina Fraser, Mackintosh School of Architecture for the project O Parque Dos Mortos. Selecting it for the prestigious drawing award, the judges said that the “project stands out for its sophisticated and stunning visual language, creating a powerful sense of atmosphere and clarity of architectural intention. Through a spiritual and poetic approach, the drawings convey a compelling story, making the proposal both emotionally resonant and visually exceptional.”
Header image (left to right: Hannah Bendon, Struan Morrison, Christina Fraser and Eilidh McGuigan) photography by Erika Stevenson