Morrison Construction has welcomed the news that their HMP and YOI Stirling project has won a gold medal in the Health Building/Project category at this year's Scottish Design Awards,.

The awards, organised by magazine Urban Realm, serve to highlight the very best in design of construction projects in Scotland.

HMP and YOI Stirling is a new custodial facility for women in custody in Scotland with a capacity for 100 prisoners. It replaces the previous HMP Cornton Vale prison on the existing site between Cornton and the Bridge of Allan, to the north of the city of Stirling in central Scotland.


The design is heavily focused on mental wellbeing and a trauma informed approach to design.

The design team worked closely with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) in the early conceptual design stage of the project, developing a unique, bespoke brief based on principles of therapeutic and biophilic design. The facility features seven single-storey buildings including a reception area, central hub, retreat and three house buildings. All bedrooms provide views of the surrounding landscape.

A step change from previously designed prison environments in Scotland, the overarching concept was to embed the masterplan within the landscape and the site's historic surroundings.

David Ewing, Managing Director for Morrison Construction Building

Central, commented: "I congratulate the project team and everyone involved for their efforts in producing an exceptional custodial facility that has been designed to provide a modern, rehabilitative approach to prisoner care."