The Recap: A weekly update from Architecture and Design Scotland
Welcome to the Recap - a short regular 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 covers weeks ending February 14–March 7 2025.
We are leaving X
From March 1, we will no longer be monitoring or posting on our X profile, although our past updates will remain available there. This will allow for an increased focus on our other social media channels – LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads and Facebook – where you will continue to find the latest news and updates on our work.
We appreciate your support on X over the years, and we look forward to your continued engagement on our other channels.
Daisy Narayanan appointed as design awards judge
A&DS Board Member Daisy Narayanan has been appointed a judge of the Scottish Design Awards 2025.
Daisy, who is Director of Public Realm at The Crown Estate and was formerly Head of Placemaking and Mobility at the City of Edinburgh Council, will bring a wealth of experience in architecture, urban design, sustainable transport and climate action.
This is a fantastic opportunity for an A&DS board member to be involved in a high profile design awards. Learn more about the awards and see Daisy's fellow judges here.
RSA Metzstein Discourse 2025
On Thursday 6 March, as lead sponsor of the event, our Chief Executive Jim MacDonald welcomed attendees of the 2025 RSA Metzstein Lecture to the Edinburgh Futures Institute. He was joined in the crowd by our Director of Outreach Lynne Lineen, Principal Architect Steve Malone, Head of Innovation and Digital Place Ian Gilzean, and Communications Manager Saoirse Docherty.
The lecture was a wonderful celebration of people, community, and the possibilities of even the most unpromising sites. Peter's practice specialises in housing – particularly social housing – and his gentle but inspiring accounts of how good design can deliver affordable homes within tight budgets was music to our ears.
It was evident how important it was to Peter and his team that his projects enable a sense of community to flourish, and it was interesting to hear him describe how his inspirations (traditional housing typologies, including the much maligned back-to-back) and his practise (hand drawing, model making, and dreaming) have been central to the firm's success – and how reluctant he seems to eschew these.
A follow-up blog will be published on our website soon. In the meantime, an online filming of the event is now available to watch on the RSA YouTube channel. You can see a gallery of Peter's work on his website.