Campus Central wins prestigious architecture award

The University’s Campus Central development has won a prestigious national architecture award.

It is one of seven buildings in Scotland named by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland as winners of the 2023 RIAS Awards.

Campus Central will now be considered for the shortlist of the 2023 RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award – one of the most significant architecture prizes in the world.

The three-storey complex is also eligible for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) National Awards, which will be announced later this month.

Campus Central, which opened in 2021 after a £23m redevelopment, features vibrant, digitally connected spaces for socialising and study, as well as shops, cafés and the University’s Student Services Hub.

Beating heart of the University

Professor Leigh Sparks, Deputy Principal and Chair of the Campus Central Project Board, said: “Campus Central has transformed our campus and become the beating heart of the University - encouraging connections and engagement across our communities.

“The enhanced learning and social experiences Campus Central offers have been welcomed by students and staff.

“We are delighted that Campus Central has now been recognised by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland with this prestigious award.”

Elevated the student experience

The RIAS jury said the Campus Central project led by Page\Park Architects elevated the student experience and is a worthy addition to the University of Stirling’s parkland campus.  

This year’s RIAS Awards jury is chaired by IF_DO director Sarah Castle alongside Ben Addy of Moxon Architects, Bennetts Associates co-founder Denise Bennetts and Elly McCrone, director of heritage at Historic Environment Scotland.

Sarah Castle said: “It was a joy to travel around Scotland visiting the projects shortlisted for the 2023 RIAS Awards. From homes to community centres and educational institutions, the projects we visited showcase architecture of the highest calibre  – beautifully conceived, carefully detailed, sustainable, and innovative.

“They demonstrate the way in which Scottish architects are responding to the challenges of our time, from the climate crisis to loneliness and social isolation.

“At their best, these are projects which couldn’t be anywhere else in the world. They draw on the rich history of Scottish architecture and playfully respond to their context – to the historic cities and diverse landscapes of dramatic mountains, glens, and forests. They contain the essence of what makes architecture in Scotland so special.”

All recipients of the RIAS Awards receive a winner’s plaque which can be kept as a trophy or affixed to the winning building. These will be presented at the RIAS Summer Reception on Thursday, 8th June.

The opening of Campus Central in 2021 marked the final stage of the University of Stirling’s vast campus renovation that also saw the development of new sports facilities, atrium, study zone and entrance hall, and the relocation of the transport hub.