Moxon Architects has been named Scotland's building of the year.

The Quarry Studios project, located in a remote area and designed with sustainability in mind, has been named the winner of the annual awards run by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS). The project, which includes the Scottish headquarters of the practice and a community cafe, beat out four other finalists, including Reiach and Hall's Falkirk Campus for Forth Valley College, Stallan Brand Architecture + Design's Jedburgh Grammar Campus, Loader Monteith's restoration of the 1957 Grade A-listed High Sunderland house, and a new office and visitor centre for the UK's largest sawmill at Lockerbie, designed by Konishi Gaffney.

The Quarry Studios building, designed by Moxon, is a stunning structure located within the national park in Aberdeenshire. It features interlocking timber walls made from 200 x 200mm Douglas fir and sits in the bowl of a former quarry that was previously used as a garbage dump. The building was designed to be lightweight in order to minimize its impact on the surrounding Site of Special Scientific Interest. The 2022 RIAS Doolan Award jury, led by architect Amin Taha of Groupwork, praised the building for its careful design and attention to detail, as well as its ability to deliver positive social outcomes.

Moxon Architects have created a highly sustainable building that not only reduces its carbon footprint and promotes local biodiversity, but also serves as a catalyst for supporting local businesses and the community. Taha, along with V&A director Leonie Bell and Collective Architecture director Jude Barber, served as judges on the panel. 

The RIAS Doolan Award was founded in 2002 to honour Scotland's finest new construction projects. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the award, which is named after its patron, Andrew Doolan, a renowned architect and developer who passed away in 2004. The award includes a £10,000 cash prize, making it one of the most prestigious architecture awards globally. RIAS president Chris Stewart remarked that the award not only allows them to recognize exceptional projects but also to consider how they address current issues. The winning project was praised for its ability to rejuvenate a brownfield site into a community resource and place of work while also integrating seamlessly into the landscape. The shortlisted projects were all impressive, and it was a pleasure to announce the winner.

The speaker stated that it is thrilling to see these five extraordinary buildings on the shortlist. He explained that the structures we live, learn, and work in shape our daily lives and the shortlist showcases how architects can transform the mundane into something special.

Additionally, the shortlist highlights the connection between architecture and significant societal concerns such as climate change, mental health among young people, and the evolution of the workplace. The speaker expressed pride in Scotland's architecture profession and emphasized the need to celebrate it based on the impressive buildings on the shortlist.

Previous winners of the Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award include:

• 2021 – Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen by Hoskins Architects
• 2020 –no award as the Covid-19 pandemic prevented jury visits
• 2019 – The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience, Craigellachie by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
• 2018 – Nucleus, The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Caithness Archive, Caithness by Reiach and Hall Architects
• 2017 – Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries, Dunfermline by Richard Murphy Architects
• 2016 – Saunders Centre, Science & Technology Building, Glasgow by Page\Park Architects
• 2015 – West Burn Lane, St Andrews by Sutherland Hussey Harris
• 2014 – Advocate’s Close, Edinburgh by Morgan McDonnell Architecture
• 2013 – WASPS South Block, Glasgow by NORD Architecture
• 2012 – Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre, Glasgow by OMA