June 5 2023

The Scottish Prison Service has taken possession of a new jail for female offenders in Stirling to replace HMP Cornton Vale.

Designed by Holmes Miller and built by Morrison Construction the £85.7m HMP & YOI Stirling pioneers a therapeutic approach to prisoner care that emphasises rehabilitation and wellbeing over punishment.

With places for 100 inmates, the novel design is split between three clearly defined spaces, a public 'front of house' area, a central hub and private residential accommodation.

The latter zone comprises three single-storey 'houses' arranged around a central garden, including properties dedicated to young offenders and mothers & babies. Each home has a dedicated entrance, shared facilities and an activity space with full-height glass. Operational and communal facilities such as kitchens, a health centre and a library meanwhile are positioned in the central hub.

David Gardner, project director at Holmes Miller said: “The significant changes in the way women are held in custody in Scotland provided the opportunity for us to completely rethink how the design of this new facility could influence outcomes.

“We worked hard not only to deliver the client’s operational requirements but also to exceed aspirations to create a positive, therapeutic environment which assists in the rehabilitation of women, offering safety and hope."

Key to the design is a sense of space and openness afforded by the generous use of windows to open up interior and exterior views of Stirling Castle and the Ochil Hills. Fellow project director Alan Cadger added: “This feeling of openness is key to creating a calming, positive environment, particularly important when someone enters custody for the first time."

Buff brick facades and metal pitched roofs are enlivened with natural patinated zinc and timber accents.

14 Comments

#1 Posted by pooka on 6 Jun 2023 at 09:53 AM

nice hotel

#2 Posted by Bob Smith on 6 Jun 2023 at 10:55 AM

Soft Touch Justice system in Scotland now

#3 Posted by modernish on 6 Jun 2023 at 11:55 AM

Reminds me of Patrick McGoohan and 'the village'. The "feeling of openess", but then the crushing realisation that you aren't free to do as you please strikes me as quite cruel.
ps - loving a prison cell redefined as 'private residential accommodation'.
Time will tell if this approach is successful or not. Hopefully, there is a monitoring programme to look at outcomes for offenders who are sent here compared to elsewhere.

#4 Posted by Malkatraz on 6 Jun 2023 at 16:21 PM

Illuminating comments there from Bob & Pooka.

#5 Posted by TheFakeArchitect on 6 Jun 2023 at 16:23 PM

Will men also be allowed in this female only prison?

#6 Posted by Roddy on 6 Jun 2023 at 18:02 PM

Only if they have been on a camper van holiday with Nicola and Peter

#7 Posted by Bored of idiots on 6 Jun 2023 at 18:17 PM

#5 I'm struggling to see what your question has to do with the design or architecture of the prison. Perhaps you could elaborate.

#8 Posted by rankbadyin on 7 Jun 2023 at 11:57 AM

#7 I'll elaborate on #5 behalf.
If men can self identify then they gain access to a building whose design and architecture is for 'rehabilitation and wellbeing over punishment.' and 'properties dedicated to young offenders and mothers & babies' .
I'm bored of idiots too BTW.

#9 Posted by Whispering Andy on 7 Jun 2023 at 13:35 PM

Whisper it.........but there'll be women queuing up to go there. It genuinely looks great. Hats off to the Holmes Miller team.

#10 Posted by Bored of idiots on 7 Jun 2023 at 13:59 PM

#7 you too have nothing to say about the design or architecture of the prison. Do you have anything at all to contribute?

#11 Posted by Bored of idiots on 7 Jun 2023 at 14:10 PM

It seems I'm one of the idiots. My #10 should've been directed at #8. Apologies

#12 Posted by Rankbadyin on 7 Jun 2023 at 14:19 PM

I completely agree, comment #7 contributes absolutely nothing in terms of design or architecture. Thanks for pointing that out.

#13 Posted by thankyouforyouremail on 7 Jun 2023 at 16:47 PM

I have stayed in worse hotels.

It would seem that women's prison now really is like 'one long hen night'.

weak on crime, weak on the causers of crime

#14 Posted by Walt Disney on 21 Jun 2023 at 14:32 PM

2 years late and 10% over budget...but TBF, as someone whose done some prison work in the past, its amazing that they managed to get anything built working with SPS, let alone something that actually has architectural merit.
Assuming the additional £7m was spent building the men's wing?

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