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EAA name Boroughmuir High School as building of the year

May 24 2018

EAA name Boroughmuir High School as building of the year
The Edinburgh Architectural Association has awarded Allan Murray Architects the accolade of building of the year for their work in delivering a new Boroughmuir High School at Fountainbridge.

The school saw off competition from 58 entrants drawn from throughout the city and surrounding area owing to its ‘skilful resolution of a complex brief’ with a constrained site necessitating a compact and efficient volume arranged around interlinked atria.

In a statement the EAA wrote: "The judges felt that the project demonstrated skilful resolution of a complex brief. The arrangement of interlinking atria within a compact and efficient volume. How the atria organised relationship between the main entrance external public space, the assembly hall and the playground."

Just missing out on the top prize was St Cecilia’s Hall by Page\Park which topped the regeneration and conservation category in recognition of its flamboyant marriage of old and new.

Elsewhere Izat Arundell saw off the competition to win the best small project title with Porteous Studio, in a category restricted to projects with a contract value of £500k or less.

Perth Theatre may lie 40 miles from Edinburgh but that didn’t prevent Richard Murphy Architects from picking up an ambassador award for the best project delivered by an EAA architect outwith the chapter area.

Awards were also dished out for the most innovative use of timber, duly collected by John Kinsley Architects for Bath Street Collective Custom Build and finest student work, with recognition this year for Ila Colley of The Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture.

This year’s judging panel comprised Rob Goodburn RIAS and Tom Rainey RIAS, Denise Bennetts FRIAS, director of Bennetts Associates and Dallas Mechan - museums, archives and galleries manager at ON with Fife Cultural Trust.
Bath Street Custom Build was recognised for its innovative use of timber
Bath Street Custom Build was recognised for its innovative use of timber
Izat Arundell's Porteous Studio may be small but that didn't stop it winning big
Izat Arundell's Porteous Studio may be small but that didn't stop it winning big

Perth Theatre secured an ambassador award for Richard Murphy Architects
Perth Theatre secured an ambassador award for Richard Murphy Architects
St Cecilia's Hall emerged victorious in the regeneration & conservation category.Image Jim Stephenson
St Cecilia's Hall emerged victorious in the regeneration & conservation category.Image Jim Stephenson

The inaugural EAA ESALA student award was handed to Ila Colley
The inaugural EAA ESALA student award was handed to Ila Colley

5 Comments

rod
#1 Posted by rod on 25 May 2018 at 08:37 AM
2 years late and yet Architects are patting themselves on the back for great job done !

you couldn’t make it up

Dia
#2 Posted by Dia on 25 May 2018 at 09:38 AM
@rod - typically architects don't build the building, that would be the contractor.
rod
#3 Posted by rod on 25 May 2018 at 09:43 AM
ah yes, so what your saying is the designers play no part in the delivery of buildings and obviously cant be held responsible for any failings. i see
Dia
#4 Posted by Dia on 25 May 2018 at 10:31 AM
@rod - as much as I'd love to agree, it depends on the failings, I suppose. I seem to recall the original delay was because of "challenging foundation work" (in a brownfield site, no less, who would have thought) and then followed by "adverse weather" (it was cold and rained in Scotland? What a shock). Sets a bit of a precedent. Unless the architects account for "unforeseen circumstances", which was the next most used excuse, but given the history it seems doubtful.

But you know what? There's a school there, the students are positive and most people seem happy. Shrug. I'm not one to torpedo someone's parade.
Stephen Bowd
#5 Posted by Stephen Bowd on 27 May 2018 at 09:53 AM
I think I see what they mean about the atrium, but the exterior is what we call boakin round here.

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