How we help

We are here to help make places better. We are passionate about promoting design that meets everyone’s needs. We offer free resources to anyone involved in shaping our places.

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How we help

Our work

We believe in the power of design to improve people’s lives: Whether it is a single building or a whole town, good design responds creatively and sustainably to the needs of all of those who use a place. Good design empowers communities to create the places they need. Good design helps create places which deliver net zero, opportunity for all, and make the best use of our resources.

We demonstrate what design-led, place-based collaboration means in practice and outline the benefits it brings.

We are a team of architects, urban designers, landscape architects and planners who bring a wealth of experience to projects across Scotland. We have nearly 20 years of experience working in this field, and we take a facilitative approach to place and design.

If you would like to collaborate with us please get in touch.

A man wearing a suit sitting in a chair in a glass building, facing a woman in a striped top with a camera phone on a tripod between them.

At Architecture and Design Scotland we:

Promote the value of good architecture and design
Support policy implementation through people-centred design
Facilitate collaborative, place-based design processes
Provide climate conscious design advice on places and buildings
Gather and share learning for lasting change in policy and design practice

The words 'Value of Design' above a still of Daniel McKendry during an interview for the Value of Design 2024 campaign

Example: Value of Design Campaign

At Architecture and Design Scotland, we believe that design has the power to improve people’s lives. It can create people-friendly, climate-conscious places, by being clear on what the brief is and involving the right people at the right time. Good design anticipates issues before they arise.

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Support policy implementation through people-centred design

We provide expert advice on Scotland’s learning estate and our healthcare buildings, as well as how to work together to create thriving places.

Teachers discussing a model floorplan of their school during a Tests of Change workshop.

Example: Collaborating to create learning spaces

The spaces we work and learn in play a huge part in shaping our mental health, happiness, and ability to learn. How can the room we work in make a lesson better or more inspiring? Our Shared Learning toolkit will help guide you and your pupils step-by-step on a collaborative mission to find the answers.

Facilitate collaborative, place-based design processes

At the heart of our work is using design skills to facilitate place-based collaboration – from single buildings to whole settlements.

An illustrative aerial view of Alva town centre. People are cycling and walking around the town centre with buildings, trees and roads.

Example: Taking a whole-place collaborative approach

We have recently worked on several projects that have contributed to the whole-place collaborative approach to the regeneration of Alva. These include the planning of carbon conscious places, meeting the needs of an ageing population through a caring place and addressing the regeneration of Alva’s town centre.

Image credit: 3DReid

Provide climate conscious design advice on places and buildings

We promote people-centred, climate-conscious design and work with our partners to achieve net zero, drawing from a range of recent projects.

A pencil illustration birds-eye view of a rural community along a river, showing green fields, and a cluster of buildings.

Example: Tackling climate change together

To protect Scotland from the impacts of climate change, we all need to work together to adapt the ways we live, work, play and move in our cities, towns and villages. We are working with local communities to support place-based climate action in a network of small Scottish towns.

Image credit: Richard Carman

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Gather and share learning for lasting change in policy and design practice

When we work on a project, we share our learning insights with others. By providing examples and evidence across our digital channels we help share the experience of those who have done, with those who will do.