Robertson wins big at leading industry awards

Two of Robertson’s most significant projects have received coveted accolades at the prestigious Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards.

Premium spirits giant Edrington's £140m Macallan Distillery and visitor experience in Speyside picked up the 'Design through Innovation' award at the Scotland ceremony, with judges commending the project team's careful management of the environment, sustainability and local resources, particularly water, and the building's innovative design.

There was also success in the North East, with Whitley Bay's iconic Spanish City regeneration project, which Robertson delivered for North Tyneside Council, awarded the 'Tourism and Leisure' title, with judges commending £10million project for transforming a declining waterfront building into a shining beacon of hope and prosperity.

Derek Shewan, chief executive officer of Robertson said: "The awards celebrate the diverse range of skills and expertise that we have within the business – from the painstaking restoration and refurbishment of iconic buildings to delivering state of the art, innovative projects.

"We're incredibly proud to have played a key role in the delivery of two hugely significant buildings that will go on to bring lasting benefits for the local community and economies for decades to come."

George McKenzie, Edrington's UK Engineering Manager, said: "This award is testament to the vision, hard work, commitment and collaboration from our team and our partners.

"Together, their unwavering commitment to excellence enabled us to deliver this unique and striking piece of contemporary architecture."

North Tyneside's Elected Mayor, Norma Redfearn CBE, said: "We are immensely proud of our iconic Spanish City and the work that has gone into restoring it – so to see it claiming such a prestigious award is absolutely fantastic.

"The Spanish City is incredibly important to the people of North Tyneside and part of the reason that our borough is so special. The work from Robertson absolutely did it justice and they did an excellent job of maintaining the heart and history of a building that means so much to our community."

Adam Serfontein, chair of the judging panel for the RICS Awards, said: "A diverse range of innovative projects, of all sizes and budgets, made the shortlist this year and the winners are truly representative of our region's best and most innovative built projects that are having a significant positive impact on their communities.

"The teams behind these winning projects should be very proud of their exceptional achievements and contribution to the region."

Both projects will go on to compete against other regional winners at the national RICS Awards Grand Final in October in London for the chance to be crowned the overall UK winner in their respective category.

The titles add to a string of high profile accolades for both projects, with the Macallan Distillery, which officially opened in June 2018, awarded 'Building of the Year' title at the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) Saltire Awards and the Structural Timber Awards' 'Winner of Winners' title.

Spanish City was commended by the Civic Trust in March and in April won two categories – 'Planning for a Successful Economy' and 'Excellence and Planning for Heritage and Culture' – at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2019.