The Allander Leisure Centre in Bearsden has been awarded top honours in the Leisure and Arts category at the 2024 Glasgow Institute of Architects (GIA) Design Awards.

The judges praised the facility's "welcoming" and "innovative" design, which brings together sport, culture, and support services for adults with learning disabilities. The Allander Resource Centre (ARC), located within the leisure centre, was recently recognised for Diversity in the Public Sector at The Herald and GenAnalytics 2024 Diversity Awards.

The Allander Leisure Centre, a joint project between East Dunbartonshire Council and Holmes Miller architects, was built in phases and officially opened in February 2024. It offers a wide range of facilities, including swimming pools, gyms, sports halls, and community spaces.

Gordan Low, Leader of the Council, said: "Well done to everyone involved in the project to create the new Allander Leisure Centre. It combines state-of-the-art facilities and stunning design, with people at its heart.

"I'm pleased it has proven to be so popular with patrons – of all ages and abilities – and industry experts."

The Allander was also recently shortlisted for the prestigious, UK-wide Architects' Journal (AJ) Architecture Awards 2024 – in the Leisure Project category.


Ian Cooney, Project Director at Holmes Miller – which provided the architectural expertise to deliver the facility – said, "We're delighted that the Allander continues to be recognised as one of the best design projects in the country. It's an exemplary model of a community-focused health and wellbeing campus."

Joanne Hemmings, Associate at Holmes Miller, added: "The GIA Awards are judged by architectural peers so it's particularly prestigious to be recognised for the Allander – the team is delighted by this accolade."

Project partners included East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture Trust, and the Health and Social Care Partnership. McLaughlin & Harvey was the main contractor, with support from Doig+Smith, Brown + Wallace and planning consultancy Stantec.

The project was delivered as part of the Scape – Major Works – UK Framework.

The Glasgow Institute of Architects on the Allander: "Award-winning buildings must excel in the fundamental aspects of architecture; the building must meet the practical and emotional needs of the building users through its programmatic content, the arrangement of the programme on its site to maximise the site assets, while being welcoming and accessible, spatially rich, structurally and tectonically rigorous, and good value for money – betraying its frugal build cost.

"The judges of the Leisure and Arts category unanimously agreed that the Allander campus, through its innovative co-location of leisure and special needs provision, provides a valuable and exemplary community asset. The placement and arrangement of what is a large building, within a constructed site, deftly maintains the Arcadian quality of the setting. The primary arrival space and sequence of spaces are both legible and dignified, evoking a luxury of space and material too often deficient in community buildings. The building's restrained formal expression, and restricted palette of materials and tones, induces a calming while uplifting experience.

"In the final analysis, the Allander campus manifests a deep concern and respect for its community of users and, as such, is a worthy award winner."

Allander photos courtesy of Holmes Miller