Best Buildings in Scotland
The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-07731, in the name of Mike MacKenzie, on the best buildings in Scotland.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament congratulates the 12 winners of the 2013 Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) awards who make up the shortlist for the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award, which will be presented on 7 November 2013 at the Parliament; understands that there were 75 submissions for the RIAS awards, ranging from £0 to over £30 million in contract value; commends the quality, ingenuity and innovation of the projects on the shortlist for the award throughout Scotland; recognises the contribution that both Scottish and international architects make to the quality of the built environment in the Highlands and Islands and across the country and the international contribution that Scotland’s architects make, and considers that RIAS and the architectural profession stand ready to help design and build a better and more prosperous future for Scotland, ensuring a higher quality built and natural environment.
12:36
I have a dream—a dream that, in future, all our buildings will be as well designed as those that are shortlisted for this year’s Doolan prize. I have a dream that, in future, architecture in Scotland will assume a much higher importance than it enjoys today, because architecture is the most public of arts. It touches all of us. We live with it every day of our lives, and for generations. When a fundamental necessity of life is shelter, especially in a climate such as ours, we need more architecture, and we need more great architecture.
Since the advent of devolution, Scotland’s architects have responded to a new sense of confidence in Scotland. The Doolan award, which was established in 2002, is perhaps part of that resurgence of confidence. The fact that it is the largest architectural prize in the United Kingdom perhaps reflects that new confidence and, most of all, our ambition and aspiration that we can and will build a better Scotland. The very process of imagining, then designing and then beginning to build a better future will in itself help to usher in that better future. Prizes are important. The Doolan prize, like the First Minister’s saltire prize for marine renewables, helps to set the bar of our ambition higher than it would otherwise be, and as high as it should be. I am therefore glad that the Scottish Government supports the prize.
The great thing about good architecture is that it is not just its own reward, to be admired and enjoyed at a purely aesthetic level; it pays off in so many other very real and tangible ways. It would be wrong to talk about any of the projects that have been shortlisted for this year’s prize, but perhaps some of those that have previously won or been shortlisted for the award or other awards might illustrate that point. Reiach and Hall’s Pier Arts Centre building in Stromness springs first to my mind. On my last visit, it was host to an exhibition of no less well-known an artist and painter than Lowry, uplifting the minds and spirits of Orcadians and visitors alike and helping to fill the cash registers of local businesses.
As if that was not enough for the small town of Stromness, Malcolm Fraser is currently building the new library there, which is helping to revitalise and regenerate a town with an historic past and a great future.
Orcadians are greedy for good architecture. They get it. Orkney Islands Council gets it. Orcadians know that over its lifespan quality architecture will pay for itself many times over.
I cannot mention Orkney without mentioning Shetland. At Grodians I came across what is quite simply the best social housing development that I have ever seen—the only one that has ever made me think, “I would love to live there.” Hjaltland Housing Association and Richard Gibson Architects are due great credit for the project, which will pay for itself through better social and health outcomes and less crime, and by enabling people to live more fulfilling and rewarding lives.
If time permitted I could talk at length about many other good architectural projects that we have seen over the past decade or so, but there are other points that I want to make. We are beginning to talk a lot more about whole-life costs, because what is important is not a building’s initial cost but the cost of ownership per annum. It can be amply demonstrated that good-quality architecture costs less per annum than buildings that are commissioned and built with low initial costs in mind. We rob ourselves when we follow the cheap route towards apparent value.
What is less often talked about is the huge added value that good architecture delivers and which is not included in standard accounting. I am talking about the effects on health and happiness and everything in between, all of which has a huge value and whose absence is something for which we pay highly. I hope that some economist of talent will take up the cause and do an analytical study of the real value of good architecture. I think that many of us know intuitively that the added value that I am talking about is significant and indisputable.
My previous career as a builder was intensely practical, but I am also an unashamed and unrepentant dreamer. The final part of my dream is that we build our better Scotland in our unique Scottish way and establish a new vernacular, as a response to the 21st century’s problems, challenges and opportunities, which reflects our climate, our culture and our values and which learns international lessons without being dominated or overwhelmed by them. After all, we Scots know what is best for Scotland.
12:43
I congratulate Mike MacKenzie on bringing to the Parliament a timely and interesting subject for debate.
I perhaps disagree ever so slightly with Mr MacKenzie on one small point. I think that architecture is highly regarded in Scotland and I know that Scottish architecture is highly regarded internationally. When I had occasion to speak about Scottish architecture in other countries, I found that people recognised the buildings and architects that I was talking about and rarely had anything but praise for what our architects are doing. As Mike MacKenzie said, we should celebrate Scottish architecture; we should also consider ourselves fortunate in the architects that we have in this country and their work.
This year’s shortlist includes stunning entries, and the buildings vary greatly in their architecture and in the use to which they will be put. They range from family homes to community art centres and from work and commercial areas to contemplative spaces. After examining the photographs of many of the buildings, visiting one or two of them and reading architects’ comments, I am sure of only one thing: I would not want to be a member of the competition’s judging panel.
Looking at the range of buildings on offer, it is clear to me that there is a great deal of diversity of architectural type and design in Scotland. The architects have been influenced by the locality, and by the criteria of functionality and purpose that the brief has asked them to consider. However, influence has also come from a great deal of imagination and consideration of what will work, and what will inspire and allow people to stretch their own imaginations.
Two of the shortlisted projects—the Beacon arts centre in Greenock and Mareel in Shetland—are in themselves part of the creative arts. I do not think that anyone looking at those buildings and their settings could fail to be inspired creatively to do the best work that they can do. Similarly, the Sir Duncan Rice library in Aberdeen, which is a cube of ice and light reflecting the weather that we often find in the north of the country, seems to be a wonderful place for people to have the opportunity to study and look forward, and to do their very best indeed.
Locality has influenced some of the buildings, in particular the turf house, which is a fantastic example of the benefits of considering the environmental aspects of a building and its architecture. It is probably invidious of me to mention only some of the buildings, but I genuinely think that every single one of them is worthy of being shortlisted.
I will mention the ghost of Water Row, although it was in my home part of the city rather than in my constituency. My constituency of Maryhill shares with Govan the fact that it became part of Glasgow at a later date than some other localities, so I have a great deal of sympathy with that celebration and commemoration.
This evening’s event will be a truly wonderful ceremony, and I am truly sorry that I am not able to be there. I have been at other such events in the past and have enjoyed them hugely, but I have another engagement that I must attend.
I acknowledge the extraordinary generosity of the Doolan family over the years in commemorating someone who really did help to lead the way in the field of architecture. I also acknowledge the support from successive Governments.
There is one small thing that I had not planned to say but now feel that I must. I am sorry that Mike MacKenzie has not seen social housing that has inspired him to want to live in it. Having lived in social housing for more than half of my life, I have to say that some of our social housing in Scotland is tremendous.
Looking at the winners of architectural prizes across the board, it is clear that housing associations are consistently ranked at the top and are often the winners of those prizes. We can be very proud of some of the good social housing in Scotland.
Mike MacKenzie rose—
I realise that the housing that Mr Mackenzie saw was probably an exemplar, but we should be very proud of our social housing as well as of all the fantastic buildings for other purposes that are shortlisted for the award that will be presented tonight.
12:48
I thank Mike MacKenzie for bringing the debate to the chamber. I am proud to join my colleagues today in congratulating the 12 winners of the 2013 Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland awards. All the winning buildings are testament to Scottish ability and raw creative talent, in addition to the skills of the various international partners involved. I wish everyone who is involved the best of luck in tonight’s awards ceremony and congratulate them on their accomplishments.
Following the announcement of those awards, I was especially proud of my fellow Fifers when I saw that the new Dunfermline high school was recognised as an award winner not only by RIAS, but by Zero Waste Scotland in the special category for resource efficiency. After the years of hard work and planning that have gone into the construction of the new Dunfermline high school building, Fife Council property and education services and everyone involved from the school and elsewhere should be proud of their collective accomplishment.
Opened in August 2012, the school is the flagship project of Fife Council’s building Fife’s future programme, which has invested £126 million in new schools around Fife. That investment has included a new secondary school for Kirkcaldy and the provision of £40 million for Dunfermline high school. The programme is designed to build state-of-the-art schools that are highly adaptable, functional and sustainable places of learning fit for the 21st century and beyond.
Sustainable design was a key part of the plan for Dunfermline high school and accounts for its selection for the Zero Waste Scotland award. The building Fife’s future programme set targets for the school from the outset and ultimately managed to achieve a Building Research Establishment environmental assessment method “excellent” rating and an energy performance certificate rating of A for the building. That was done through passive design measures in ventilation and natural lighting, as well as advanced recycling and renewable energy systems, such as rainwater collection and the installation of solar panels.
The initial construction process focused on resource efficiency, and subcontractors were encouraged to come up with innovative waste reduction ideas. For example, 100 per cent of excavated soil was reused, saving £60,000 and minimising the environmental impact of transporting the soil to landfill and leaving it there. Further, 94 per cent of subcontractors were based within 50 miles of the school, meaning that Fife businesses were supported and less carbon was spent by transportation. More important, the building is a testament to what architecture should be all about—a building should be for the people who use it every day.
The beauty of the building is that it achieves those things, while being exactly what the school needs. School administrators, teachers and pupils were all involved in the design process from the beginning. That can be seen in the widespread use of natural lighting, flexible learning areas and open spaces in the building, all of which were pupil requests. The open spaces and excellent overall visibility in the building also contribute to the see and be seen approach to building design, promoted by school administrators, which is proven to cut down on bullying by creating fewer corners for bullies to lurk in.
As an educational institution, the new Dunfermline high school is top of the line. It is designed to accommodate 1,800 pupils. The building is equipped with a large assembly hall with tiered seating, a modern library complete with resources centre, approximately 1,200 computers or laptops and full wireless technology. The new school’s infrastructure is designed to support student life inside and outside the classroom, as the school includes a drama studio with rehearsal rooms, a dance studio, a sports hall, a fitness suite, two gymnasiums and extensive playing fields, including a large Astroturf pitch. Finally, the cafeteria, coffee bar and colourful, glazed three-storey wall all help to create relaxing communal areas, which make the school feel more alive than institutional.
Since 1468, Dunfermline high school has been an educational hub for Dunfermline and Fife. In August 2012, the school began a new chapter of educational excellence. Thanks to the excellent investment strategy of Fife Council through the building Fife’s future programme and the outstanding abilities of BAM Construction, the young people of Dunfermline have been blessed with a remarkable school for generations to come.
It is for those and many other reasons that Dunfermline high school has most deservingly won a RIAS award and a Zero Waste Scotland award in the special category for resource efficiency. All 12 RIAS award winners have similar stories of improving the lives of everyday Scots, for example through investment in community centres, schools and theatres throughout Scotland.
I commend RIAS for recognising those accomplishments and look forward to finding out who the winner of the Andrew Doolan best building in Scotland award will be tonight.
12:52
It is a great pleasure to take part in the debate. I, too, thank Mike MacKenzie for bringing the issue to Parliament. I should declare an interest, in that I have been invited to become an honorary fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland—an invitation that I have, with great pleasure, accepted. I do not have an entry in the register of members’ interests yet because the process is embryonic rather than complete. I believe that I have to attend a dinner next year and make a speech, at which point I am in, so to speak.
The RIAS is an important influencer in Scottish affairs in general, but most particularly in the important arena of our built environment. As Patricia Ferguson said, there is widespread evidence of that all over Scotland. That influence is captured well in the motion.
In no way is the RIAS either passive or purely advisory. It is a catalyst in the encouragement of creative design and build, both in its programme of activities and of course in the awards scheme to which the motion refers.
I, too, congratulate the 12 winners of the 2013 awards. They reflect the cream of talent in the profession. The fact that they emerged from 75 submissions from throughout Scotland is, in itself, a tribute to the calibre of ability to be found among practitioners. It is also an inspiring contribution to the shape of our future built environment.
One of the 12 winning projects is the Beacon arts centre in Greenock. I can speak at first hand about its attributes. It is a superb facility in a stunning location. I was privileged to listen to Nicola Benedetti playing in the state-of-the-art theatre, I have attended an art exhibition in the flexible conference area and on more than one occasion I have enjoyed delicious food in the bistro. That imaginative and attractive facility has given a real lift to the Inverclyde environment.
As others have said, the winner of the Andrew Doolan best building in Scotland award will be chosen this evening from the 12 RIAS award winners, with the award announced and presented in the Parliament this evening. Unfortunately, like Patricia Ferguson, I cannot be present, as I have another engagement in Glasgow. However, the award will be a prestigious triumph for the successful contender. I only hope that my absence does not scupper my honorary fellowship or my free dinner.
The phrase “built environment” can sound rather abstract and a bit dreich, but arguably there is no more important influence on how we live, where we work and how we relax than the built environment. Historically, people congregated where there were centres of activity; perhaps that activity was trade, or access to a market, or perhaps it was maritime activity identified with a river or coastal location. A built environment then developed to accommodate people and their families and to create ancillary facilities for trade and worship. Much of that, as we all know, has left a fascinating legacy of historic interest and quaintness the length and breadth of the United Kingdom. Many buildings, despite being hundreds of years old, are iconic. However, I am equally fascinated by what happens when architects are asked to address a new human and social need and to create a built environment appropriate to that.
I have much enjoyed reading a chronicle of post-war history, which is David Kynaston’s series “Tales of a New Jerusalem”. I commend it to anybody who is interested in how Britain has evolved in the past 70 years, because it is readable and fascinating. It shines a light on how we have become shaped as a society in the past 70 years. Much of that is down to political intervention, but a great deal of it is down to our built environment, which features prominently in the chronicle.
We sometimes forget that the first town and country planning legislation was passed only in 1947, just over 60 years ago, but it was hugely influential in shaping much of our current environment. It is fascinating to consider how architects addressed the post-war challenges of devastated locations, in which the need for new housing was paramount, with the concept of new towns and building upwards to address the scarcity of land. We did not always get it right, but that work has been vital in informing how we approach design now, as Mike MacKenzie said. The experience of those early pioneering projects has been instructive.
Mike MacKenzie also said that Scotland faces challenges. We face the emerging trend of an increasing proportion of elderly people, which is good, but it means that we need to think about how our built environment should adjust to that situation over the next 20, 30 or 40 years. With the architectural talent that is so clearly available in Scotland and with a dynamic and engaged body such as the RIAS, I feel confident about the future of our Scottish built environment.
12:58
I add my congratulations to those of others to Mike MacKenzie on securing this debate and to the 12 winners of the 2013 Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland awards, who make up the shortlist for the RIAS Andrew Doolan best building in Scotland award. I add my apologies to those of other members for not being able to attend the event this evening, because I, too, have another engagement.
I congratulate the RIAS on the excellent work that it does in recognising and promoting exceptional Scottish architecture and I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the former RIAS secretary, Professor Charles McKean, who members will be aware died last month. Professor McKean was the professor of Scottish architectural history at the University of Dundee and he did much more than any other person to promote awareness of, and pleasure in, Scottish vernacular architecture. Just a brief look at some of his many publications over his career tells us a lot about the breadth and richness of our architecture. He wrote about the Scottish tollbooth, castles, Dundee as a renaissance port, Tain and Whithorn as pilgrimage towns, and Jacobean villas. We get the sense that, for a country of its size, Scotland has an enormous breadth of different architectural styles. We owe Professor McKean a great deal.
Good design is not defined only by how a building looks; it is measured by its physical, social, environmental and functional value, which is what these awards pay tribute to. I am a South Scotland MSP and I notice, rather unfortunately, that there are no South Scotland buildings on the list. However, like Annabel Goldie, I have visited the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock—that is where I am from. Just to add to what Ms Goldie said, the Beacon Arts Centre replaced the Arts Guild Theatre in Greenock. That was a much-loved traditional building and generations of people went to it to attend pantomimes, for example. For many people, that was the only place where they might have seen an arts event, gone to the theatre or participated in a school concert. I know that I did. It is a hard act to follow when a building such as that is so loved by the community, but the Beacon Arts Centre is an example of a modern piece of architecture that has already been embraced by the community that it serves, and it is probably attracting a lot more people to becoming involved in the arts. When I was there for the launch of the late George Wyllie’s paper boat in celebration of his work, a lot of schoolchildren and local people were there, and it was very participative.
I also pay tribute to the way in which the building reflects the sea-going nature of the people of Inverclyde. The building really connects with the river, which is so important to the people of Inverclyde.
There is an increasing awareness of the value of architecture and place in Scotland, and the role that it plays in national and local life. I am also pleased to be able to pay tribute to the Scottish Government’s creating places policy statement that was published this year. It notes the quality of our built environment and how it makes a radical improvement in the quality of our lives. The policy aims to place the design and development sector at the heart of a cross-disciplinary strategy to address a variety of economic, environmental and social aims ranging from the promotion of our culture and heritage to tackling issues such as climate change and fuel poverty.
Within the South Scotland region that I represent, there are some strong examples of how Scottish architects have contributed to these aims. This year, the innovative Abbotsford visitor centre reception, created by LDN Architects, was shortlisted for an RIAS award. The reception building will welcome visitors to one of Scotland’s great cultural sites and provide a symbolic new gateway to the home of Sir Walter Scott near Melrose in the heart of the Scottish Borders. The construction of the centre was part of the extensive refurbishment and repair to Scott’s world-famous home. It is a great example of how modern architecture can enhance and preserve our historical environment and it is expected to draw a great many visitors to that part of Scotland. I commend that building, and indeed all the buildings on the shortlist, to all members.
13:02
I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak about the best buildings in Scotland and I thank Mike MacKenzie for lodging his motion for debate. I also congratulate the 12 winners of the 2013 Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland awards and I wish each of them luck for the Andrew Doolan best building in Scotland award that will be announced here later today. I have either seen, or seen online photographs of, the winning designs and they look truly innovative and worthy of their place. Some of them have been mentioned.
Mike MacKenzie said that he had a dream—I share that dream—of seeing architecture take its important place in Scottish culture. Patricia Ferguson made the good point that Scottish architects and architecture are often recognised abroad, but there is still a job to be done if the nation is to recognise some of its well-known contemporary architects. We are beginning to get the hang of recognising those who made their mark in the past, but we still have some way to go.
I will mention a story that I do not think that I have told in this chamber before. A number of years ago, I visited a school in the east end of Glasgow, where the headteacher’s particular interest in the arts was expressed throughout the school. On the staircase were children’s drawings of what were clearly Mackintosh designs. When we had an opportunity to speak to some of the six and seven-year-olds who had drawn them, I asked what they were. With great indignation, a six-year-old said to me, “Do you not know who that is? That’s Macintosh. He’s a famous Scottish architect. And another thing—we’ve no only done Macintosh, we’ve done Greek Tamson an a’.” That boy said later that he would like to be an architect, too.
Raising awareness is everything. What the Doolan family and the RIAS have done with their competition is spectacular.
I have a plea to make. I recognise that we are very proud of the architectural history and heritage of Scotland, but I think that it is time that we had tourist trails to some of the most modern buildings and contemporary architecture that we have in Scotland. We have everything to win and everything to be proud of. We could start with this building, of course.
Architectural competitions, although often difficult and time-consuming for architects, always attract bids from a considerable number of practices. The total number in this competition has been mentioned already. Although we are seeing only 12, I suspect that there are others that would fascinate us just as well.
Mike MacKenzie tried to intervene on Patricia Ferguson’s speech and I suspect that it was to correct her. Although he would like to live in the inspiring Hjaltland Housing Association houses on Shetland, which are absolutely stunning, I doubt that seeing those houses was the first time that he had been impressed by new designs for social housing in Scotland.
Competitions such as the RIAS awards genuinely raise awareness, but we have to do a bit more. Architecture, like art, music and other creative art forms, needs to be knitted into and rooted in our education system, which can happen. There is another competition, for our island home—I think that the deadline is next week—which asks architects to design an energy efficient house for less than £100,000. That will be of real interest to a lot of the communities in the Highlands and Islands, which I represent.
I must ask you to close, please.
Finally, I thank the Doolan family and the RIAS for the work that they do, and for their competition.
13:08
I thank Mike MacKenzie the builder—Mike the builder, not Bob the builder—for the opportunity to debate this important subject. In describing himself as a builder, perhaps he underrates his profession’s contribution to the fine buildings that we have around Scotland. Somebody has to design them, yes, but at the end of the day, it is the builders of Scotland who deliver them.
The history of our buildings progressed for a very long time without the emergence of a separately identified profession of architecture. Yet architects’ skills are clearly present when you look at many buildings around Scotland. I was privileged to attend the University of Aberdeen and went to both Marischal and King’s colleges there, which are quite distinct from each other. Centuries apart, they represent the epitome of good design—of architecture—of their times.
It is, as Jean Urquhart said, an absolute privilege for us to be here, not simply because we achieved the support of a necessary part of the electorate, but more fundamentally because we work in one of the iconic buildings of modern Scotland, created by architects and delivered by builders, which is important.
A number of different things make a good building: its material, its locality and its function, all of which are drawn together by the skills of the architect to create something that is appropriate to its environment, that is distinctive and effective and which will endure.
The skills of our architects in Scotland stem from our historical alignment with the need for education. Builders must be able to do calculations in order to work out the number of bricks or stones they will need to get the proportions correct, and an architect takes all that to another level. We need think only of the number of places around the world that we remember for not just the people we meet there, but the buildings that we see.
I congratulate Annabel Goldie on her forthcoming elevation to the fellowship of the RIAS to add to the lustre of her deputy lieutenancy. At this stage, I have yet to be invited to be anything, if we do not include the far less distinguished award that Alan Cochrane wanted to give me in his low abuse of me last month.
I will be invidious and single out the Sir Duncan Rice library, which, in the context of Old Aberdeen, is a quite stunning building. Turning the corner from King’s college in Old Aberdeen, one suddenly looks up a slight rise at a narrowing vista and is surprised by the sight of a wonderful building glistening in the sun—facing, as it does, to the south-east. Inside, the space and grace that it provides to the students studying there some 50 years after me exemplifies all that is good in modern architecture. I certainly know that it is too late to have any influence on the judges, given that the awards are tonight—indeed, I am sure that the name has already been engraved on the trophy—but if there is a chance for a late change of mind, should it be necessary, I encourage it to take place.
Architects show ambition and it is a time for ambition in Scotland. I wish every one of the 12 finalists all the very best. Whoever wins, the building will be an exemplar for modern Scotland.
13:12
I, too, congratulate Mike MacKenzie on securing this debate and on making a fine speech.
Over the past 11 years, the RIAS Andrew Doolan award for best building in Scotland has showcased and celebrated our best new Scottish architecture not only through its award-winning schemes but through the remarkable strength of each year’s associated shortlist. It is difficult to overstate the value of well-designed architecture to the kind of place that I am sure we all want Scotland to be. The quality of the buildings in which we live and work, that we use or which we simply pass each day strongly affects our perception of the quality of our lives. The quality of the architecture in our cities, towns and rural areas is at its best a great source of national pride, so it is vital that we constantly aim to improve the quality of Scotland’s built environment.
Awards for architectural design are immensely valuable to that aim as they display the highest quality of work and act as a spur to excellence. The award for the best building in Scotland, which we now know as the RIAS Andrew Doolan award, was founded by Andrew Doolan in 2002. We have much for which to thank him, both in his vision and his generosity. Andrew Doolan was an excellent architect and outstanding entrepreneur, and his own excellent design work won a number of RIAS regeneration of Scotland and Civic Trust awards. One of his earliest projects, Ingram Square in Glasgow, was the first substantial renovation in the merchant city, and many will agree that his visionary work there acted as a catalyst for the regeneration of Glasgow city centre.
Like the RIAS and this Government, Andrew Doolan believed in the importance of nurturing and celebrating good design and raising the profile of new Scottish architecture at home and abroad, and his benevolence and drive, together with the RIAS’s highly commendable work, have given this award its prominence and prestige.
Since 2005, following Andrew Doolan’s death in the previous year, the Scottish Government has contributed funding to the award and event, along with the Doolan family. With a cash prize of £25,000, it is the largest architecture prize in the UK. The scale of the award raises its profile greatly and tells the world of the importance that Scotland places on its built environment. It also tells developers of the importance that the Government places on high-quality design. I agree with both Patricia Ferguson and Mike MacKenzie. Patricia Ferguson is right to say that Scotland values its architecture and that our architecture is highly regarded internationally. However, Mike MacKenzie is also right to say that we all have a responsibility to ensure that the importance of architecture is understood generally and popularly.
The projects on this year’s Doolan award shortlist are astonishingly varied, with project costs ranging from no budget at all for the Ghost of Water Row in Govan, to over £30 million for the Sir Duncan Rice library to which Stewart Stevenson referred. The projects demonstrate that creative excellence is not related to budget and show the difference that can be made to individual lives and the success of communities and places when the immense potential of good design as a multiplier of value is recognised and supported by enlightened clients. To the congratulations from across the chamber today, I add my personal congratulations to the firms that are on the shortlist.
It is vital that there is a wide understanding of the value of good building design. In 2008, we increased the Scottish Government’s contribution to the Doolan award from £15,000 to £25,000. The additional Scottish Government contribution enables touring exhibitions of the shortlisted schemes to be created by the RIAS, and the exhibitions travel to places that are easily accessible to the public. It is particularly important to me that we build greater public interest in Scotland’s new architecture. The Doolan award helps to generate a public and professional debate about quality and the exceptional place that we want the Scotland of the future to be.
Earlier this year I launched “Creating Places - A policy statement on architecture and place for Scotland”, to which Joan McAlpine referred and in which there is a commitment to continue to support the Doolan award. I advise Annabel Goldie that the new policy is endorsed by the planning minister, which addresses her points about the importance of bringing architecture and planning together. Within the new policy, I have also made a commitment to support the RIAS festival of architecture in 2016, and I thoroughly commend the RIAS on that initiative. The festival will be a celebration of Scotland’s great architecture and will raise awareness of the impact of good design on our lives. It will provide an exciting opportunity for Scotland to promote our creative talent in architecture and to showcase our inspiring buildings and places.
I very much share the aspirations of the RIAS for the promotion of Scotland’s architectural talent both at home and to the world. To tie in with the RIAS festival, we recently announced the designation of 2016 as a Scottish Government focus year on the theme of innovation, architecture and design. I say to Jean Urquhart that that focus year will provide a great opportunity for the promotion of the educational aspects that she wants to see. The focus year will encompass Scotland’s heritage and modern attributes in relation to architecture, engineering, renewables, fashion and textiles, science, technology and more. The theme also recognises the wealth of excellent opportunities to promote innovative architectural design in Scotland, many examples of which will be found among the projects that are shortlisted for, as well as the winners of, the RIAS Andrew Doolan award.
It is entirely right that the Parliament has today recognised the contribution that Scottish and international architects continue to make to the quality of the built environment of our country. Our best new architecture, such as that which is celebrated through the RIAS Andrew Doolan award, helps to support the development of a confident country with a strong cultural identity and a dynamic international image. The award promotes Scotland as a creative and innovative place with a valuable contribution to make to the world. I therefore thank the RIAS and the many project teams that have featured in the Doolan award for their tireless efforts to help to build a better and more prosperous future for Scotland.
I look forward to tonight’s award ceremony, at which I will, once again, have the pleasure of announcing the winner in the golden envelope. I say to Stewart Stevenson that I do not yet know this year’s winner; however, given that the shortlist displays great quality, ingenuity and innovation, I am certain that the winner will be worthy of the Doolan legacy.
13:19
Meeting suspended until 14:30.
14:30
On resuming—