The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) is the professional body for architects in Scotland.
Previously the (lapsed) Architectural Institute of Scotland, it was re-founded in 1916 as the Incorporation of Architects in Scotland by architect Robert Rowand Anderson (1834–1921) from his sick bed.[1] Anderson donated his Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh to be used as its home, where the organisation remains to this day. It was given its first Royal charter in 1922, followed by a second in 1929.
In 2017, 100 leading Scottish architects demanded a major shake-up of the organisation, describing it as "self-satisfied" and "bunkered" and calling for it be more transparent, inclusive and accountable over its decision-making.[2] Around the same time, a complaint had been made to Police Scotland concerning Neil Baxter, the RIAS's secretary and treasurer since 2008. Baxter left the RIAS in November 2017. A subsequent inquiry by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) into the RIAS's governance found that the Incorporation's trustees had failed to adequately oversee Baxter's activities between 2008 and 2017; it found he had "facilitated the misuse of the charity’s assets" leading to "clear financial damage and loss, as well as reputational damage, to the charity". The OSCR, however, also noted that governance improvements had since been implemented by the RIAS.[2]
The Incorporation is an independent body representing architects working in Scotland although it consults regularly with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) regarding UK-wide professional issues. It lobbies Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Government directly on relevant issues. The Incorporation is run by an elected National Council comprising representatives of individual chapters and nationally elected members.
The RIAS comprises six chapters across Scotland:
Associate membership is available to anyone registered as an architect who lives and works in Scotland. The Incorporation offers accreditation in specialist fields including historic building conservation and environmental sustainability.
|
Main article: RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture |
The RIAS award was founded in 2002 by the architect Andrew Doolan, whose work included the Point Hotel in Edinburgh. The award is given to the best new building in Scotland, as judged by a jury of assessors. The value of the prize is £25,000, making it the largest prize for architecture in the UK. Initially the prize money came from Doolan, but following his death in 2004 there were doubts as to whether the award could continue. The responsibility now lies with his mother Mrs Margaret Doolan who now patronises the award and from 2005 the award has been renamed the "RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture" in his memory. Winners have included: the Enric Miralles' Scottish Parliament building; Bennetts Associates' University of Edinburgh Informatics Forum; and Reiach & Hall's Pier Arts Centre in Orkney. The Maggie's Centres in Dundee, Kirkcaldy and Inverness have all been nominated, with the one in Inverness by Page\Park Architects winning the award in 2006.
For notable elected Fellows of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (FRIAS) see Category:Fellows of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.
RIAS publications include a series of architectural guides covering Scotland aimed at the general reader. Although smaller in size and more limited in scope, the aims are similar to Nikolaus Pevsner's eponymous series of Architectural Guides to England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Some volumes were published under RIAS's imprint, The Rutland Press. Others were co-published with Mainstream Publishing. Several volumes (marked *) have been updated as new editions, but not all volumes are currently in print.
Forthcoming
