Annual Review 2024

At Architecture and Design Scotland, we believe design is crucial for navigating challenges, improving lives, and creating a more sustainable and equitable Scotland.

2024 was a year of impactful collaboration and forward-thinking initiatives. We worked alongside incredible partners and stakeholders to demonstrate the value of design in creating better places for communities across the country.

Our Annual Review 2024 highlights that work, showcasing key activities and our commitment to design excellence across six areas of work:

• Digital world and place
• Changing climate
• Local living
• Learning
• Health and wellbeing
• Showcasing innovation

Download the publication below to discover our stories of design in action.

In 2024, we...

• Showcased the diverse expertise in Scotland’s architecture and design sector through our Value of Design campaign
• Pioneered digital innovation by advancing groundbreaking work in digital innovation and ‘PlaceTech’.
• Influenced national policy by contributing to key strategies such as the Climate Adaptation Strategy and the Flood Resilience Strategy, and drove forward climate action by providing a Climate Action Towns toolkit and report for national rollout.
• Fostered community engagement through collaboration with communities, local authorities, and agencies to address critical challenges like climate change, town centre regeneration and sustainable housing, and to understand the unique needs of communities across Scotland.
• Championed inclusive design by supporting the creation of accessible and inclusive health and learning estates.
• Explored the health benefits of design through our event on ‘preventative design’ and our first podcast episode highlighting design's role in protecting biodiversity and national wellbeing.
• Internally refined our design advice practices by gathering staff insights on our tools, approaches and resources to enhance future impact across scales and project stages.
• Moved to the Edinburgh Futures Institute, enhancing our impact by strengthening our connections with researchers and cross-sector partners.
• And last but certainly not least, we began to move forward recommendations from a Scottish Government review which signals an important and exciting shift in the future focus and role of our organisation. Most notably, we will deliver a renewed focus on architecture and sector development, with a reshaped remit as a centre for excellence. These recommendations provide an opportunity to refine our purpose, strengthen and expand our position within the sector, and ensure we are providing expertise, leadership and support where it is most needed. More to come in 2025.