This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Building an architecture policy
05/10/2001
A national policy on architecture for Scotland will be an important element in improving everyday quality of life, Culture Deputy Minister Allan Wilson said today.
He was speaking as he launched the first national policy on architecture at Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre.
The Deputy Minister said:
"This policy sets out an agenda for action which underlines our commitment to Scotland's architecture. Each one of us living and working in Scotland is affected every day by our built environment and this policy recognises the value our surroundings can have.
"Improved design and higher quality development are not just ends in themselves. They will support other key objectives of the Executive such as sustainable development, social justice and economic competitiveness."
Key objectives of A Policy on Architecture for Scotland are:
- to promote the value and benefits of good architecture, encourage debate on the role of architecture in national and local life and further an understanding of the products and processes of building design
- to foster excellence in design, acknowledge and celebrate achievement in the field of architecture and the built environment and promote Scottish architecture at home and abroad
- to encourage greater interest and community involvement in matters affecting local built environments
- to promote a culture of quality in the procurement of publicly funded buildings that embraces good design as the means of achieving value for money and sustainable development
- to ensure that the planning and building standards systems and their associated processes both promote and facilitate design quality in development
Mr Wilson said:
"Publication of this document today marks an important milestone in a process which began with the commitment in the Partnership for Scotland Agreement to develop a policy on architecture..
"We recognise the value and benefits that good building design and good architecture can deliver.Good design can support a whole range of policy objectives, whether social, economic, cultural or environmental.
"The quality of our buildings and of our architecture are of vital importance if we are to achieve the improvements we seek.
"The principles that underpin our commitment to architecture are, firstly, that a decent, well designed, built environment in which there is quality of life for all is important to our objectives for a socially just and inclusive society.
"Secondly, that the quality of our architecture is a reflection of our cultural aspirations and vital to the perception of Scotland as a place of creativity, imagination and innovation.
"And thirdly, that what we build now is important in both conserving and extending that which is of value in our built heritage and in achieving our objectives for a sustainable future.
"This policy is backed by action. We have awarded a £300,000 annual grant over three years to the Lighthouse to support a national architecture programme. This will include the development of an online architecture centre, a programme of exhibitions that will tour Scotland, events to encourage local communities to participate in the built environment as well as a partnership fund offering grants to local communities wishing to develop their own projects, events, publications or exhibitions.
"We also intend to develop various educational initiatives to encourage schoolchildren to look and understand how the built environment relates to much of what they are learning in subjects across the curriculum as well as supporting a broader range of educational objectives.
"That is why today I am announcing that we will be investing £144,000 for the development of teaching resource materials for school children on the built environment which will form part of the National Grid for Learning.
"We also see architecture playing a key cross-cutting role in national strategies on tourism, culture and the creative industries. "
"These initiatives illustrate the broad scope of our policy and these are only some of the first important steps. We recognise that our objectives and our strategy for implementation will evolve over time so we will keep our objectives under review and evaluate their success."
BACKGROUND
The Partnership for Scotland Agreement made a commitment to develop a first ever national policy on architecture for Scotland. The Executive framework document "The Development of a Policy on Architecture for Scotland" was launched in September 1999. This set out the Executive's views on the social, cultural environmental and economic benefits of good architecture, described the potential role of government in the promotion of policy and set out a framework for action for policy development. A series of nine public meetings took place throughout Scotland to canvas views and comments from as wide a cross section of the community as possible. Responses were generally supportive of the aims, aspirations and proposals set out in the Framework document. The "Report on the Public Consultation" was published in November 2000.
The NGfL programme has been running since 1999 and seeks to provide schools and FE colleges with the technical infrastructure, training and digital content necessary to take full advantage of modern information technology in the context of teaching, learning and management.
Dundee Contemporary Arts was designed by Richard Murphy Architects and opened in 1998 following a major refurbishment and extension to a disused garage on the Nethergate. The project has been architecturally acclaimed and won the 1999 Regeneration of Scotland Award.