Value of Design

In Episode 4 of the Value of Design podcast, we find out if architecture can respond to a world shaped by climate change, housing pressures, emerging technologies and shifting social priorities.

Co-hosted by Architecture and Design Scotland's Urban Designer Alex Laurenson and Outreach Officer Rachel McBryde, this episode features the Directors of STUDIO NIRO, Rowan Mackinnon-Pryde and Nicky Thomson.

Together, they reflect on their experience attending the UIA World Congress of Architects in Barcelona, one of the world's largest gatherings of architecture and design professionals. Drawing on insights from international discussions around housing, circular design, material reuse, artificial intelligence and the changing role of architects, they explore what Scotland can learn from global perspectives and why the value of design extends far beyond the buildings we create.

Guest speakers

-       Co-hosts: Alex Laurenson (Urban Designer) and Rachel McBryde (Outreach Officer, Architecture and Design Scotland

-       Rowan MacKinnon-Pryde, Director and Co-Founder, STUDIO NIRO

-       Nicky Thomson, Director and Co-Founder, STUDIO NIRO

Resources

-       Learn about Architecture and Design Scotland

-       Learn about STUDIO NIRO

-       Learn about The UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona

In Episode 3 of the Value of Design podcast, we explore what it means to move “Towards a culture of value” in architecture across Scotland today.

Co-hosted by Urban Designer Alex Laurenson and Architecture and Design Scotland Chief Executive Jim MacDonald, this episode features Tamsie Thomson (RIAS) and Caitriona Jordan (BE-ST).

Together, they discuss the shift from cost-driven decisions to long-term value and how architecture can help tackle the climate emergency, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities shaping Scotland’s built environment.

Guest speakers

• Co-hosts: Alex Laurenson (Urban Designer) and Jim MacDonald (Chief Executive), Architecture and Design Scotland
• Tamsie Thomson, Chief Executive, The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
• Caitriona Jordan, Associate Director of Retrofit and Energy Efficiency at BE-ST

Resources

• Learn about our Business Plan 2026/27 and new partnerships
• Learn about RIAS
• View the RIAS Award 2026 winners
• Learn about BE-ST

What if the spaces between and around our buildings matter just as much as the buildings themselves?

In this episode, our hosts, Design Officer Alex Laurenson and Principal Designer Lesley Riddell-Robertson, are joined by guest speakers to explore how landscape design can shape the way people learn, live and connect.

With contributors from education, architecture and landscape architecture, we uncover why Scotland’s future depends on smarter, more intentional investment in our landscapes.

Guest speakers 

• Fiona Smyth (Headteacher, Montgomerie Park Primary School)
• Jenny Jones (Senior Landscape Architect CMLI, rankinfraser landscape architecture)
• Karen Anderson (President of The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland)
• Danny McKendry (Principal Landscape Architect, Architecture and Design Scotland)

With thanks to the 2025 Learning Places Scotland Conference and the 2026 Landscape Institute Housing and Regeneration Conference for hosting our podcast interviews.

Resources

• Learn more about climate-ready school grounds
• Explore the Montgomerie Park Primary School landscape design by rankinfraser landscape architecture
• Explore the Montgomorie Park Primary School design by jm architects
• Learn about the Shared Learning Events (Learning Estate Investment Programme)
• Learn more about the Landscape Institute
• Learn more about The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland

In the first episode, our Director of Design Heather Claridge and Director of Land Use Consultants (LUC) Duncan McLean walk through the HamiltonHill Claypits Local Nature Reserve discussing the importance of designing for lasting benefits through the Glasgow canal regeneration project.

Host: Heather Claridge

Guest speaker: Duncan McLean

Resources: