The new ambulance station in Enniskillen has been named the winner of the Infrastructure category in the prestigious Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Awards 2018.
The annual awards recognise exemplary built projects, and the teams behind them, that contribute positively to Northern Ireland.
Judges of the awards said the new station was “ground breaking, innovative and representative of how future stations will be”.
The new station, designed to meet the challenges of the 21st century, provides a flexible workspace capable of supporting the Northern Ireland Ambulance’s changing and developing workforce and fleet.
Spread over 1,400m2, the facility provides a functional yet calming environment for staff and visitors during traumatic experiences.
Situated on the former Erne Hospital site, the station is strategically located to serve Enniskillen and the surrounding areas within an eight minute response target.
The design of the building places emphasis on facilitating the rapid response times, with garage exit doors as close to the site boundary as possible.
It has provided NIAS with a new identity in Enniskillen and provides the people of the town and surrounding areas with a reinvigorated service for the years to come.
Surveyors for the project were Currie & Brown while work was also carried out by Todd Architects and construction company FORRME.
The judges added: 
“A passionate station manager, John McClintock, focuses on the operational advantages of a bespoke station which thanks to its design and location means his crews can achieve tough eight minute call out times. But he also points to the dignity and pride such a built environment provides its personnel for whom it represents acknowledgement of their extremely harsh working conditions.”
Michael Hannaway, Chair of the RICS Awards Northern Ireland judging panel, said: “The exciting winning schemes are all having an extremely positive impact on their local communities.
“The teams behind them have worked tirelessly and with incredible vision to create projects which provide tremendous benefit across areas as diverse and important as healthcare, education, housing, the workplace and tourism.
“Through collaborating with other professionals, local surveyors have shown that they have the talent to deliver exemplary and in many cases world-class built projects.”
All category winners will now go on to compete against other regional winners at the national RICS Awards Grand Final in November 2018 for the chance to be crowned the overall UK winners in their respective category.