Forth Valley College’s £78 million Falkirk Campus – designed by Reiach and Hall Architects - has won another award.
The architects who have also designed FVC’s award winning Alloa (opened 2011) and Stirling (2012) Campuses, have just won the Higher Education prize at the 2021 AJ Architecture Awards.
The latest prize comes just five months after the Falkirk Campus came top in the Scottish Design Awards category of Architecture: Education Building or Project.
AJ Architecture Awards judges visited the Falkirk Campus in the summer when it was serving as a Covid vaccination centre, and it was this alternative use, as well as the building itself which impressed them.
One judge said: “It’s just so adaptable – you can easily transform the building into something else. The users are so proud and the people running it feel it has met all their standards. The designers have also thought hard about the surroundings and being part of this ‘green corridor’. It isn’t something that just landed on this site.”
The judges as a whole felt a remarkable level of quality had been achieved on the tight budget.
Another judge said: “The thing I really loved was the west elevation – simple, Danish-style, stripped-down architecture, a long, glazed elevation and trees acting as a sunshade. It’s really good value for money and really well done.”
A spokesperson for Reiach and Hall Architects, said: “We are delighted that Falkirk Campus has been awarded the AJ Higher Education Award.
“This has been a truly collaborative effort and we would like to thank everyone who worked on the three FVC college projects, including the contractors, engineers, specialist consultants and designers.
“In particular we would like to thank Forth Valley College – we are fortunate to have been able to work with such a proactive client on three unique college buildings and we hope our designs help them take the College forward with ambition.”
Dr Ken Thomson OBE, Principal of Forth Valley College, said: “We are delighted that our new Falkirk Campus has won yet another prestigious award - the AJ Architecture Awards Higher Education prize. I remember meeting the group of judges when they visited in the summer and I could tell they were very impressed with the building and its adaptability. Winning awards like this justifies all the hard work and planning that has gone in to making our new HQ a reality – it truly is a fabulous community asset.
“The new Falkirk Campus focuses heavily on training facilities designed for science/technology/engineering/sport and healthcare. It will enhance further education for the people of Falkirk and beyond, for years to come.
"Our vision for Forth Valley College involved many staff, students and our stakeholders and we must thank architects Reiach and Hall and Balfour Beatty for designing and constructing our new building and helping us to realise that vision. I personally would like to thank everyone who has worked on the project for guiding it to completion.”