02 September 2016

Aberdeenshire Design Awards winners presented

The winners of Aberdeenshire’s 2016 Innovation, Architecture and Design Awards were announced in a ceremony at Banchory’s Woodend Barn last night. (Sept 1)

Acclaimed designer Wayne Hemingway was the keynote speaker on the night. Mr Hemingway and Provost Hamish Vernal then went on to present the awards, intended to recognise the area's best design projects.

Aberdeenshire Council’s well-established biennial design awards were revised this year to mark the national Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design, with the overall aim of promoting better built design in the area.

Changes were made to allow the submission of design projects which have not actually been built, with the awards focussing on conceptual design based on innovation.

There were three tiers of award: Commended, Highly Commended and the top award of Distinction in a total of eight categories.

The winner of the Public Vote was a concept for a Contemporary Heritage Museum by Dave Chouman Architect, Bridge of Don, also Commended by the judges.

The new Aberdeenshire town of Chapelton, near Newtonhill, was awarded a Distinction in the Innovative Masterplanning category. 

The masterplan for the new town, submitted by Turnberry on behalf of Elsick Development Company, “encapsulated placemaking principles to create a sustainable mixed-use development of an outstanding standard".

Moxon Architects, for client Emma Rampton, won the Ian Shepherd Award in the Innovative, Sustainable Development category for Coldrach.

It is described as "an imaginative and well-executed refurbishment of a derelict cottage with a deceptively simple contemporary extension to create a stylish residence".

In the same category, the Middleton of Rora development, by SBD Limited, was awarded a Distinction.

It was described as “a refined agricultural building designed in corroboration with the client to create an innovative structure which meets its principle objectives of improving both efficiency and the welfare of livestock”.
Aberdeen’s Scott Sutherland School of Architecture took the Best Student Submission winning the £500 prize and was Highly Commended for its “AWPR Settlement Expansion” project in the Innovative Masterplanning category.

A range of other projects received Commended and Highly Commended awards from the judges and details will soon be available on our website and on social media.

Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, David Aitchison, was one of the judges at the awards.

He said: “There really was a great range of projects for the judges to look at, showing how much local design talent there is out there, and that’s very encouraging for the future.

“The main purpose of these awards is to encourage a better built environment through the use of innovative and sustainable design which accords with the local context, whether in a rural or an urban setting.

“Through the years, we have seen a huge range of projects entered into the Design Awards and a lot of them have been built, adding quality and innovation to the fabric of the local built environment and we hope that will continue.”

When asked about the award entries Wayne Hemmingway said: “You expect good architecture in Scotland because it’s got a tradition of it, there’s a real love of it and often you find the further you get north the architecture gets better.
“I’ve always thought that in Scotland there’s definitely a passion for architecture in which shines through.”

Wayne also said, when asked about the importance of recognising good design: “At Hemingway Design we say design is about improving things that matter in life and recognition of achieving that is very important.


“Awards are important, especially in design and architecture as you’re often not doing it to get rich so to get recognised for the work you do is great.


“Recognition is good, celebrating good things is what human beings should do. It encourages other people to do good things as well and that’s why I support awards wherever I can because I think awards are vitally important.”

More information on the Design Awards and short videos on each of the entries is available on our website: http://bit.ly/2bG6VZq