Scottisharchitecture.com is an online architecture centre, that is part of Architecture and Design Scotland's ACCESS to Architecture Programme. The website is designed to engage, inform and illuminate on all aspects of Scottish architecture and the built environment, across as wide an audience range as possible - from students and young people taking part in related workshops to professionals looking for lively and up-to-date news and debate.
Scottisharchitecture.com offers an important portal to information relating to projects delivered by the ACCESS to Architecture programme. The website also provides:
- comprehensive and constantly updated news;
- diary details of forthcoming events around Scotland;
- regularly updated features on new buildings and places;
- an education resource aimed at learners across all ages;
- articles, interviews and blogs reflecting the latest thoughts and developments happening across Scotland and beyond.
Scottisharchitecture.com considers the virtual visitor every bit as important as our real exhibition visitors and event participants.
If you wish to contact scottisharchitecture.com please email ScotArch@ads.org.uk
Website design by Graphical House
As Architecture is not taught as a discrete subject at Higher level in Scottish schools there are many students who would like to apply to university to study architecture but they are unsure how to put together a portfolio that’s appropriate. In order to help these students, and their teachers who may be unsure how to guide them, Architecture and Design Scotland ran portfolio building workshops over four Saturdays in November 2010.
The course was very popular and oversubscribed with 20 young people successful in gaining a place on the four day course facilitated by professional architects Craig Dunn and Kathy Li. Course leaders from Strathclyde University Architecture Department and the Mackintosh School of Architecture at GSA also contributed their time and gave students an insight into what they would look for from a prospective student portfolio.
The course focused on developing participants’ skills and students completed a number of tasks building towards a portfolio ready piece of work. The activities also included presentation and interview skills practice with students competing for jobs in a marketplace.
The aim of the workshops was to equip these young people with the confidence and skills necessary to take their university applications to the next level and improve their chances of being accepted on to a course. The course culminated in an exhibition of the students’ work in The Lighthouse from December 2010 to January 2011.
Since the workshops ended many of the participants have been successful in gaining acceptance on to a course and are looking forward to beginning their studies in September 2011.
Participant feedback
“I am going to study architecture at Strathclyde University this fall confirmed with an unconditional offer. It was a digital portfolio interview process so the fact that we covered this on the course was a huge help!”
“I have accepted my place at Strathclyde University and begin on the 24th of September 2011. I definitely think that being given a place on the portfolio course helped me leaps and bounds and gave me a HUGE advantage when applying to university! The information and knowledge I gained from attending the classes was invaluable and definitely helped me with interview preparation and also portfolio preparation.”
“I'm sure the portfolio course during November helped me prepare for my digital folio and interviews, and ultimately improved my chances of receiving the offers which I did.”
A resource will be available for download here shortly to help support those needing help with building a portfolio or teachers wishing to help students hoping to make university applications.