This film produced by Jim Stephenson spotlights the North Gate social housing project in Glasgow by Page\Park Architects, which has been shortlisted for the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award.
The video forms part of a series being published by Dezeen in collaboration with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) to highlight the award’s five-strong 2024 shortlist.
In the film, viewers are given an insight into the brick housing development for the New Gorbals Housing Association, which contains 31 apartments that have been designed to encourage its elder residents to lead active and independent lives.
Commentary throughout the video by architect at Page\Park Architects James Brimble and resident Andrew Fairfield emphasises the influence of the community on the building’s design.
“As it’s a housing association and it’s also ran by the community, a lot of the local issues [and] challenges are fed back into the design and the briefing,” Brimble explained.
“The tenants now have taken ownership of it in the way that I think we always hoped would happen,” he added. “The idea that they can then embrace it as their own, I think, is really important that you can do that in a building.”
The Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award is an annual award running since 2002 that highlights Scottish projects. This year’s winner is set to be announced on 22 November.
Other projects shortlisted for the prize include The Burrell Collection by John McAslan + Partners and Ardoch by Moxon Architects, along with the The University of Aberdeen Science and Teaching Hub and Fruitmarket Gallery – both by Reiach and Hall Architects.
The film and photography is courtesy of Jim Stephenson.
