The Recap: A weekly update from Architecture and Design Scotland
Welcome to the Recap - a short weekly update blog from Architecture and Design Scotland. This is based on our internal blog that is shared with staff and board members on Fridays. This blog combines weeks ending 27 November and 6 and 13 December.
Designing for people: a humanist approach to architecture
On 26 November, our Principal Architect and Urban Designer Johnny Cadell published a blog reporting on his recent visit to the Inverness Housing Expo at Balvonie, highlighting the importance of sustainable design practices that prioritise people's needs.
"As an example of a people-centred, climate-conscious place, I recently revisited the Inverness Housing Expo at Balvonie, to see how it is working as a place and a community. This national demonstration project for sustainable design in housing was led by The Highland Council and the Highland Housing Alliance. It opened as a public exhibition in 2010, realised by 25 architects with AREA as Masterplanner and designers of the streetscape. After the exhibition, the housing has become a community and further housing has been built since, filling gaps in the streetscape where temporary exhibition stalls once stood."
Launch of the Place Tech Innovation Lab report
On 27 November, the PlaceTech Innovation Lab report, which demonstrates the innovative use of data to support improved placemaking was published by the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) in partnership with Scottish Government and infrastructure consultancy Ramboll, with support from Architecture and Design Scotland.
The ‘PlaceTech Innovation Lab’ initiative aims to provide expertise and leadership in the innovative use of data such as geographic information systems, 3D visualisation techniques, digital twins and artificial intelligence to answer place-based infrastructure challenges.
Over the past 12 months, the PlaceTech Innovation Lab was implemented across three public sector pilot projects looking at how decisions within planning and place-making can be improved, specifically looking at:
- Improving Glasgow City Council’s City Centre Strategy through digital tools
- Enhancing Perth & Kinross Council’s Cultural Quarter with digital solutions, and
- Developing a digital model to assess the impact of infrastructure investments for Comhairle nan Eilan Siar (Western Isles Council).
SURF Awards 2024
On Thursday 5 December, our Director of Design Heather Claridge was in Glasgow to attend the 2024 SURF Awards. Heather joined colleagues from across Scotland to celebrate the best in community-led regeneration and hear the winners announced by Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Employment and Investment. Check out the details here.
"What next for place?" A round-up of Place Forum 5
On Thursday 12, we published our round-up of our ‘What next for place?’ event which took place earlier this year at Glasgow University.
"What if we could harness the power of design and creativity to forge meaningful and equitable partnerships? How can this collaborative approach lead to positive outcomes for people, the places we inhabit, and the planet itself?"
Over one and a half days, practitioners and academics gathered for a collaborative exploration of these crucial themes, working together to co-produce some suggested principles for future place-based practices. In addition to a series of talks, through which leading experts and researchers have valuable insights, attendees took part in interactive walks and site visits throughout Glasgow.
For images from the event, session descriptions, and an overall summary, visit the blog post now.
Header image: The flood resilience design included an integral swale with tree planting and bridges bringing human scale. Credited to Architecture and Design Scotland.