ACT has taken the Design Concept Award at the Building and Architect of the Year Awards 2026, earning the judges' recognition for a proposal that addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing Ireland's built environment: how to densify and regenerate existing town centres without sacrificing the character and fabric that define them.

The judges praised the Scotch House concept as "a thought provoking concept that tackles the challenge of reuse and densification in Irish towns with clarity and intent," noting that it draws on strong precedents while responding directly to contemporary needs. The result, in the panel's assessment, is "a confident and well considered concept with the potential to influence how towns evolve."

At the core of the proposal is a low energy, low carbon strategy that positions sustainability not as an add-on but as a structural principle of the design. That clarity of intent carries through the entire concept, from the treatment of existing building fabric to the approach to future growth, producing a scheme that is both contextually sensitive and forward-looking.

In a category that rewards vision as much as execution, the Scotch House proposal stood out for the quality of its thinking and its relevance to the realities of Irish town planning today.

The Building and Architect of the Year Awards 2026 ceremony took place on Thursday, 23rd April 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry.

View the full list of winners at the official awards website.