Quality and quantity

摘要

I have just spent two wonderful jam-packed days criss-crossing Scotland judging the RIAS Doolan prize - its equivalent of the RIBA's Stirling prize. It was an extraordinary journey with a sumptuous mix of the heritage of Edinburgh, the urban grit of Glasgow, the incredible scale of Glencoe and the breathtaking beauty of Skye. All that with seven exemplary buildings thrown in. Judging architecture prizes is always a difficult task. It's tough having to compare small-scale schemes with very low budgets against national commissions for million-pound art galleries or museums. One thing that ties them together is the quality, not just of the buildings, but of the teams.