Senses of Place

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February 2008 sees the culmination of the most recent phase of the work undertaken by The Lighthouse, Scotland’s national Architecture and Design Centre, to increase the participation of pupils, teachers and other stakeholders in the design of the schools in which they work and learn. Building on the organisation’s expertise in the area, particularly on previous work concerned with increasing the participation of young people and children in school design, Senses of Place offers a practical guide to meaningful consultation.

“The Senses of Place: Building Excellence project begins with the thesis that – if the designers are skilful and the procurement method is conducive – the key to unlocking good design must be effective consultation between all of the key stakeholders,” says Nick Barley, director of The Lighthouse. “The approach adopted aims to make the consultation an active, engaged and beneficial process. Initially this means consulting on the creation of a good brief, but crucially it also means a continuous involvement in the process as the design develops. By learning how to imagine the right buildings in partnership with our children, we have a better chance of giving them the learning experience they deserve.”

The Senses of Place: Building Excellence project was commissioned by the Scottish Government, and is aligned with the Curriculum for Excellence. "We are committed to improving the learning experience for our children and young people by improving the building fabric of schools and nurseries and developing and delivering Curriculum for Excellence," says Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop.

"This initiative demonstrates the importance and immense value of involving children and young people in school design from an early stage. The enthusiasm of the young people and others involved in the projects, and the richness of the ensuing design briefs should inspire authorities, architects and others involved in school design across Scotland and beyond."

The key outcome of the Senses of Place initiative is not only a blueprint for the creation of a school design brief that gives a real voice to end user”, says project coordinator Anne Cunningham. “At a time when the public in Scotland is to be given a much greater say in planning proposals, it offers a template for how public consultation should be put into practice across the full range of planning decisions from major public developments and hospitals to open spaces, community centres and housing.”

Five Scottish local authorities selected to take part in the project each choosing a different theme to explore. (These themes had also been identified in national discussions). Each authority was then paired with an architects practice.
•    In the Orkney Islands Gareth Hoskins Associates worked with schools and communities on a project to develop a design exemplar exploring the theme of “learning communities.” It focused on networking between schools, staff and pupils, as well as between schools and their local communities.
•    In Argyll & Bute DEGW worked with stakeholder groups to develop a design exemplar exploring use of large spaces within secondary schools.
•    In North Lanarkshire JM Architects and LWD Design worked with pupils and teachers to address how spaces could be reconfigured for different learning and teaching approaches for pupils with additional support needs.
•    In West Lothian Lisa Mackenzie worked with schools on a project to develop a design exemplar for recently built secondary schools that would enhance science education.
•    In Stirling 3DReid worked with primary schools (P1) and nurseries to develop on design exemplars to enhance active learning and play.

The outcomes of these collaborations will be presented in five installations at The Lighthouse from 21 February – 13 April 2008. The Senses of Place publication and layout of the presentation have been created by Glasgow-based design practice, O Street.

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