Havenfield Mews, Portobello: Quiet mews lane shortlisted to be Scotland's building of the year

A quiet lane of mews houses in Portobello that was designed as a traffic-free haven has been recognised as one of Scotland’s best buildings.

A quiet lane of mews house in Portobello that was designed as a traffic-free haven has been recognised as one of Scotland’s best buildings.

A shortlist of 14 projects has been drafted by the Royal incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) which are in the running for the prestigious award.

The shortlisted buildings are spread widely across the country and include new school and college buildings in Cumnock, Falkirk and Jedburgh, the restoration of an iconic Modernist house in Galashiels, a community centre in Fife and pioneering low energy homes.

Also making it into the final selection are the development of the Glenkinchie Distillery in East Lothian, a house on South Uist, a new justice centre in the Highland ‘capital’, Inverness, and a sawmill in Lockerbie near Dumfries.

Havenfield Mews, Portobello is shortlisted to be Scotland's building of the year

But perhaps the most eye-catching entry on the shortlist is a largely unheralded development on a small plot of land where Brownies and church coffee mornings used to be held.

The uninspiring church hall behind St James in Portobello was demolished after the main kirk building was sold to developers who are converting it into homes.

The small plot of land hidden at the back of the church was also used to build new homes, but the architects had a vision for creating a traffic-free mews that would be an oasis of calm in the busy city suburb.

The result is Havefield Mews, a short row of houses tucked down a peaceful lane, which has been recognised by RIBA for its exceptional design and vision.

The winners of the 2022 RIAS Awards will be announced in June and go on to form the ‘longlist’ for the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award.

The 2021 Best Building in Scotland finalists includedthe Edinburgh Printmakers.

RIAS President Christina Gaiger said: “Most of this year’s shortlisted buildings were delivered during the Covid-19 pandemic and are a testament to the resilience of their architects, clients and construction teams.

"Delivering outstanding architecture which pushes briefs, boundaries and the systems we work within is not easy – and I am full of admiration for the teams who delivered this fantastic shortlist.”