HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Stirling, Scottish building award news, Architect

HMP & YOI in Stirling, Scotland

post updated 1 August 2025

Architects: Holmes Miller

Location: Stirling, central Scotland, UK

RIBA Client of the Year 2025 shortlist revealed – this project is one of the six, and the only one located in Scotland.

Photos by Chris Humphreys Photography

HMP & YOI Stirling by Holmes Miller

This ambitious and quietly radical project marks a fundamental rethinking of custodial environments in Scotland. Designed with compassion and clarity, His Majesty’s Prison and Young Offenders Institution (HMP & YOI) Stirling offers a therapeutic, trauma-informed and gender-specific alternative to traditional prison architecture.

It supports women in custody through spaces that promote dignity, equality and meaningful rehabilitation, and was built to replace HMP & YOI Cornton Vale, which had been judged no longer fit for purpose after operating on the site since the 1970s.

Working in close collaboration with the Scottish Prison Service and the Cornton Vale management team, Holmes Miller developed an entirely new model from the ground up – all while maintaining full operation of the existing facility during construction. The result is a campus of carefully arranged, predominantly single-storey pavilions embedded within the landscape, demonstrating a high degree of sensitivity to context.

The design responds to its rural setting and local vernacular with a calm and coherent material palette: sandstone-toned masonry, zinc cladding, and pitched roof forms inspired by traditional farm steadings. Generous courtyards and garden spaces form a continuous spatial thread throughout the site, offering light, views and a connection to nature in every direction. These open spaces also encourage movement, interaction and reflection – key components in the rehabilitative ethos that underpins the project.

Internally, the focus on equality and mental wellbeing is evident in every aspect – from the natural materials and colour palettes to the provision of private, safe and flexible environments that feel more domestic than institutional. The architecture lifts the spirit, treating residents and staff with humanity and respect in every detail, from orientation and access to the quality of daylight.

Careful value engineering ensured budget targets were met without compromising the project’s core ambitions. It demonstrates what can be achieved through perseverance, vision and a commitment to doing things differently.

HMP & YOI Stirling is a landmark project for Scottish architecture – a model of how public buildings can be both operationally robust and deeply humane, setting a new standard for justice infrastructure in the UK and beyond.

2025 RIBA Client of the Year Shortlist

Previously on e-architect:

28 June 2024

HM Prison and Young Offender Institution, Scotland

Holmes Miller took home the gold award for the Health Building or Project category for its work on the HMP & YOI Stirling facility.

The new HMP & YOI Stirling custodial facility won the gold prize for its focus on trauma-informed design and rehabilitation. The practice has created a therapeutic environment based on safety, respect and dignity that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of people in custody, staff and visitors.

In what was a record for the practice, it was also named as a finalist in eight categories, covering each of its key sectors – education, leisure, retrofit and public building – as well as Architectural Practice of the Year and Young Architect of the Year.

Architecture firm Holmes Miller has been announced as the winner of the Health Building or Project category at last night’s Scottish Design Awards.

In what was a record for the Glasgow-based practice, it was named as a finalist in eight categories, covering each of its key sectors – education, leisure, retrofit and public building – as well as Architectural Practice of the Year and Young Architect of the Year.
Organised by Urban Realm in partnership with The Drum, the Scottish Design Awards celebrate excellence in architecture, art and advertising. Winners across the 34 categories were selected from more than 150 businesses and individuals who submitted entries. In a highly competitive field, Holmes Miller was pronounced the winner of the Health Building or Project category for its work on HMP & YOI Stirling, a groundbreaking new 100-person custodial facility for women in Scotland.

Reflecting on its win, Holmes Miller highlighted its steadfast commitment to people-focused, sustainable architecture.
Callum Houston, managing director at Holmes Miller said: “It’s always inspiring to see our work being recognised by our industry peers, but having been named as finalists for a record eight categories among a pool of the best and brightest talent in Scottish architecture is a huge achievement in itself.

“This award is a reflection of the hard work, creativity and dedication of everyone in our team. We have always strived to place the end user at the centre of our designs to ensure every project meets the unique needs of both the client and the community. We are over the moon to receive this recognition and look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of excellence in our field.”

Photographer: Chris Humphreys Photography

Holmes Miller

HMP & YOI, Stirling, Scotland images / information from Holmes Miller Architects, Glasgow

Architects: Holmes Miller – https://www.holmesmiller.com/

Location: Stirling, Scotland, United Kingdom.