A total of 27 entries were put forward for a new Moray round of a Highlands and Islands contest series aimed at celebrating innovative and cutting-edge architecture, and awards in five categories were presented last Friday night at Elgin's St Giles Centre.

The Moray competition was voted a big success, and it is hoped to run it again in two years' time, with a push for even greater involvement of local architects.

Scott Donald, chairman of organisers the Inverness Association of Architects, who headed the judging panel, said that Moray interest in the first year had been encouraging, and the standard of entries was impressive. "I'm sure even more would enter next time," he added.

The winners of five Moray categories will go forward to compete with leaders from other regional rounds in the Highlands and Islands finals in November.

The Moray winners are:

New building (domestic, public, commercial, community) – Gordonstoun School Theatre, by LDN Architects, Forres.

New life for old buildings – 1 Links View, Findhorn, by Edge Architecture and Design of Findhorn.

Internal detail – Larch House, Findhorn, by Affordable TM, Findhorn.

Place making (external spaces, relationship with context) – Horizon, Forres Enterprise Park, by Colin Armstrong Associates, Inverness.

Lost opportunities (plans not implemented) – Cawdor Castle Bistro/Garden Shop, by Edge Architecture and Design of Findhorn.

Nicole Edmonds of Edge was delighted to pick up two awards.

Her award in the 'new life for old buildings' category was for work on 1 Links View, Findhorn, a semi-detached house unaltered since being built in 1953. Despite generous windows, the original central corridor created box-like rooms and an overall sense of confinement. Ess-ential rewiring, window replacement, insulation, the installation of an efficient heating system and a budget of £45,000 were a chall-enge to the design.

Perseverance led to open and light kitchen/dining/living spaces, designed to flow easily together while possessing a sense of individual containment. The curve-walled bath/shower room – modest in layout and area – provides an intimate bathing space while leading from living area to kitchen.

"All this is quite a surprise on entry, as the external envelope of the house remains as original, apart from replacement double-glazed windows, a new front door and two roof lights," the judges were told.

Runner-up was Longmanhill Mill, Lhanbryde, by the Ashley Bartlam Partnership, Elgin, for renov-

ation of a former meal mill and preservation of mill gearing and machinery, and its incorporation within the home.

Chairman of the Moray Architecture Awards judging panel, Scott Donald (second right), presents Nicole Edmonds of Edge Architecture and Design with her award double. Other winners and runners-up in the prize line-up are (from left): David Cameron, of Colin Armstrong Associates; David Williams, of Horizon, Forres Enterprise Park; Tom Duff, of LDN Architects; Alastair Mackie, of Ashley Bartlam Partnership; Kathleen Munro, of Affordable TM; Alistair Murdoch, of Ashley Bartlam Partnership; and Susan Longmuir, of LDN. NS

Edge completed a double success with the award for lost opportunities, for a bistro/garden shop at Cawdor Castle, on a site between the walled garden and car park, with open lawns punctuated by mature trees constraining the form and position of any new pavilion, given the functions and service requirements of the brief.

As the cafe/shop and adjacent picnic area could be visited by people taking the paths to and from the castle, there was no obvious front or back to the building. A living green roof, requested to minimise impact on the walled garden, extended over the entire building.

The external wall was primarily timber frame and clad, certain external walls of estate reclaimed stone, and glazing to the southwest was a feature of the cafe, with a timber curtain wall system and timber brise soleil/tensile canopy.

New building award winner was LDN Architects' 200-seat studio theatre at Gordonstoun School, intended as a significant addition both to the drama facilities at the school and the performing arts provision for the local community.

Acoustic screens and flexible seating rostra allow the theatre to be converted to three separate teaching and rehearsal spaces, so that the facility can be in use for the development of drama and dance throughout the year, and the foyer also doubles as an exhibition and reception space.

The new facility was designed and built to a strict budget, and the internal and internal detailing and specification were kept simple and practical. Externally, the metal curving wave-form roof brings relatively low eaves heights, minimising any visual impact on the landscape and vistas around Gordonstoun.

Runner-up was the Horizon Building at Forres Enterprise Park, by Colin Armstrong Associates,

Inverness, who were instructed by HIE Moray to design an innovation and incubation centre which would be an exemplar building in terms of sustainability and environmental design. The building was made as sustainable as possible, comprising single-storey timber construction, with the open cafe/social space supported by timber glulam circular columns and rafters.

Horizon went one better in the placemaking category, with Colin Armstrong Associates taking the award for its building design and landscaping in the countryside setting, using Moray sandstone and timber, a pond, pathways and trees, and covering the roof in meadow grass.

Runner-up was the Ashley Bartlam Partnership for redesigning the main entrance to Aberlour House, now a corporate facility and offices for Walkers Shortbread, the aim of which was to achieve the necessary technical requirements while minimising modific-ations to the original road layout and character of the entrance drive.

The interior detail award went to Affordable TM for a specially crafted wooden ballustrade on a curved staircase, around which the internal arrangement of the house was designed.

Runner-up was the Ashley Bartlam Partnership for an acoustic wall panel to sub-divide the South Room at Gordonstoun House.

Other members of the judging panel were Moray architect Andrew Wright, a former president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland; Dave Addison, curator of Moray Museum; and Mike Collins, editor of 'The Northern Scot'.

Details of the winning entries were on view this week at the St Giles Centre in Elgin. Mr Donald said that one of the aims was to raise the profile of the work of smaller architectural practices. "We want people to be proud of the architecture in their local areas, whether it is an unusual house extension design or a larger office building," he added.

Sponsors of the awards are Bord na Gaidhlig, the Forestry Commission, Highland and Islands Enterprise, and the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

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