Construction News

01/10/2026

Paisley Central Library In Running For Prestigious RIAS Andrew Doolan Award

An Arc-Tech (Scotland) project has been shortlisted for one of Scotland's most prestigious architectural honours.

The RIAS Best Building in Scotland Award was founded by Andrew Doolan in 2002 and renamed in his memory two years later. All recipients of this year's RIAS Awards were considered for the overall accolade, with Paisley Central Library announced as one of three finalists.

Led by CCG (Scotland) in partnership with hub West Scotland for Renfrewshire Council and designed by Collective Architecture, the scheme converted former High Street retail premises into a modern library, learning and events venue. Careful restoration and structural upgrades have revitalised the building while retaining its prominent role in Paisley's town centre.

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Arc-Tech (Scotland) delivered a turnkey M&E services solution, supporting the creation of a high-quality, energy-efficient and future-ready community facility alongside the wider project team.

RIAS judges praised the project's sensitive integration within the historic streetscape in a modern yet understated way, highlighting it as an inspirational example of how underused High Street buildings can be repurposed for future generations.

The winner of the Doolan prize will be announced on 8 October. Further information is available via RIAS.

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