A Policy on Architecture for Scotland
PROGRESS REPORT 2005
1 STRATEGY AND INTENTIONS
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Radisson SAS Hotel, Glasgow
Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop Architects
Photograph: Andrew Lee | The Space, Dance Studios, Dundee College,
Dundee Nicoll Russell Studios
Photograph: Keith Hunter
© Arcblue |
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A central aim of the policy on architecture is to encourage a greater public interest in the built environment and to raise awareness of its importance in the cultural life of Scotland. During the development of policy, we considered that the establishment of a long term strategy for taking forward our advocacy and promotional aims should be an early priority. We believed that a national centre for architecture could provide a clear focus for this strategy and, in the public consultation on the development of policy in 2000, there was strong endorsement for the role of a national architecture centre in raising the profile of architecture in Scotland, in stimulating debate and discussion, in developing initiatives on education, and in encouraging community interest in the built environment.
The Lighthouse, Scotland's Centre for Architecture Design and the City, opened in 1999 and is one of the key legacies of Glasgow's year as the UK's City of Architecture and Design. In a very short time, The Lighthouse established itself as an important hub for the creative industries in Scotland, and also established a strong profile and links both in Europe and elsewhere. Through commissioning a National Programme of activities in line with policy, we sought to consolidate the position of The Lighthouse as the national centre for architecture. Funding was initially provided to The Lighthouse for the development of a three year National Programme on architecture. The programme, which includes touring exhibitions, community events and a national website on architecture, has now been extended, with increased funding, to 2008.
We are committed to the promotion of Scottish architecture both at home and abroad. As the National Programme has bedded in and the programme of national touring exhibitions has become firmly established, we have been able to place greater emphasis on international promotion. Our strategy for exhibition development has taken account of priorities in the Executive's Promotion of Scotland strategy. In the past year, events have taken place in Catalonia, the Netherlands, France and Italy.
In the framework document, we indicated our belief that the opportunity to develop an understanding of architecture and the built environment should be part of the social and cultural education of all our young people. Because of this, the policy contains a commitment to work to deliver, through the National Grid for Learning (NGfL), online interactive teaching resource material on architecture and the built environment.
www.buildingconnections.co.uk has been developed with The Lighthouse as a major resource for schoolchildren on the built environment which forms part of the National Grid for Learning. Building Connections brings together educational resources, ideas and case studies from organisations, individuals, schools and local authorities across Scotland, and all content is appropriate for the curriculum in Scottish schools. Building Connections is intended to enhance teaching and learning across the entire curriculum, with stimulating resources to support the development of programmes of study, group work and individual learning.
One of the key objectives of the policy on architecture was to ensure that the planning and building standards systems and their associated processes both promote and facilitate high quality in development. In order to take this objective forward, the Executive made a commitment to review the status, organisation and remit appropriate for a national design review body to provide independent advice on development procedures. We considered this task to be one of the highest priorities during the first years of policy implementation. For over seventy years, the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland (RFACS) has advised Ministers, local authorities and other bodies on questions of amenity and, in particular, major development proposals likely to have strong visual impact, or to be of considerable significance to the environment. In line with the above policy commitment, a fundamental review of RFACS was carried out, and a new body, 'Architecture and Design Scotland' will be set up to replace RFACS from April 2005. The new body will continue the design review function of RFACS, but will have a wider, more proactive role in the promotion and advocacy of good design, and the increased funding and additional activities proposed for the new body will enable it to assist more effectively in the implementation of the policy on architecture.
Since the launch of policy, we have sought to build stronger relationships with a wide range of bodies and individuals with an interest in the built environment. We are now taking this partnership approach further forward to feed into our strategy, and a Policy on Architecture Progress Group has recently been established drawing together key bodies in Scotland with an interest in the built environment. The principal aims of the Group are to inform Executive decisions on initiatives to take forward the implementation of policy commitments, and to provide a platform to assist in the co-ordination of initiatives between built environment bodies in Scotland.
We have sought to stimulate debate through our policy documents themselves, and this Progress Report continues with that aim in mind. In Section 2 of this report we provide more detail on the ways in which individual commitments have been taken forward, whether by The Lighthouse, with other partners, or by the Executive. Section 3 provides an indication of the main ways in which we see policy developing in future. In Section 4, we have invited architectural writer Mark Cousins to provide his views on the impacts of policy.
Landforms in Barcelona
Photograph: Andrew Lee