Student Awards for Architecture Scotland, UK - 2009

Something old, something new: Scottish national award for architecture student 9 Nov 2009 A fourth year student of Robert Gordon University's Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment, Aberdeen, continues a winning streak with a Scottish national award in recognition of his designs that sympathetically combine the historical with the contemporary. Jonathan Mennie (21) from Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire, received 'The Lighthouse Award for 'Best 3rd Year Student' at the Scottish Student Awards for Architecture, held in Glasgow last month. The awards ceremony is run annually by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) in collaboration with The Lighthouse - Scotland's centre of Architecture, Design and the City - where the ceremony took place. Award-winning student, Jonathan Mennie, at Union Terrace Gardens - the area on which one of his designs is based: Jonathan received the award ahead of competition from Scotland's six architecture schools, following the submission of two of his creative designs. The first proposes a new commuter rail station situated in Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen. Jonathan's design incorporates many features of the site including Union Bridge and granite walls. A clear vertical access strategy of intersecting elevators was designed to allow quick transition from Union Street to the station platform. The second design, and ultimately the prize-winning project, proposes the conversion of a grade 3 listed coach house in St Andrew's into a Luthier's retail and workshop space for creating and repairing stringed instruments. As with his previous design, Jonathan was sensitive to the existing structure, incorporating timber and sandstone to blend in with the surroundings. The judges commended Jonathan's work for demonstrating "a well developed understanding of how historic and contemporary architectural forms can be combined, a care and understanding in the use of materials and an impressive command of the process of creating new buildings within the city". The award is one of three that Jonathan has received this year. In May, his Union Terrace design won 'The City of Aberdeen Architectural Medal for Civic Design'. In the same month, his Luthier Workshop design won the 'Rob Hunter Prize for Conservation and Adaptive Re-Use', awarded by the Scott Sutherland School. Jonathan with RIAS representative and ASA President, Gordon Smith: "It's been a great year for me to date with three academic awards," comments Jonathan. "The quality of work submitted by my fellow competitors was very high and so I am delighted to have had my designs so widely recognised". The Aberdeen Society of Architects (ASA) is the local chapter of RIAS. President, Gordon Smith, states: "The RIAS Awards showcase the best in Scotland in highlighting excellence in Architectural design. Jonathan has demonstrated, if proof be needed, the high standard of the young and emerging Architectural talent cultivated locally from Scott Sutherland School of Architecture. Jonathan will relish the opportunities that undoubtedly will follow in the future, if this is a sample of what he has to offer." Trevor Smith, Principal Architect at Aberdeen City Council presented Jonathan with his Civic award earlier in the year. He comments, "Jonathan's skill for combining historical structures with contemporary design is exemplary. I was pleased to present him with the Civic Award ahead of stiff competition from 59 fellow entrants, and so it comes as no surprise that he has now been recognised at a national level". Now a fourth year student, Jonathan has begun a placement year with McColl Architects in Aberdeen - an organisation he is particularly pleased to work for as he holds Managing Director Colin McColl's work in high regard.

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