Donegal native Aidan Doherty wins RIAI Scott Tallon Walker Student Award

Aidan Doherty, a Carrick native and recent graduate of Atlantic Technological University Sligo, has been awarded the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Scott Tallon Walker Student Excellence Award for Architecture 2026.

Doherty earned the prize for his project “A Town Outside Time: Re‑designing Dementia Care”, which proposes a new residential care environment that supports people living with dementia and encourages community interaction. The jury praised the design for its clear spatial hierarchy and the way it balances public, communal, semi‑private and private zones, fostering wellbeing and family engagement.

It is the first time an ATU Sligo student has received this national honour. Doherty will graduate next week and has already taken up a full‑time position with Cornerstone Associates, which has offices in Ardara and Letterkenny. Director Gavin Shovelin said the firm will find it difficult to retain one of Ireland’s most promising young architects, noting Doherty’s long association with the practice since a Transition Year placement in 2018.

Doherty is the son of James and Moira Doherty, owners of The Ardara Distillery, and a former pupil of Carrick Vocational School. Shovelin highlighted the challenge of keeping talent in Donegal, but praised the county’s strong pool of emerging professionals.

Source: Donegal Daily. Photo: Blackcurrant Great / Pexels.