Architecture and Design Scotland review: summary report

2.0 Key considerations

2.1 The outcomes of the functional assessment and stakeholder feedback indicate that improvements can be made to increase the impact of A&DS through adjusting the activities of the body.

2.2 As a small NDPB, A&DS resources are limited and currently spread over a wide range of issues. There are potential benefits in reforming the structure of A&DS to achieve budget sustainability and optimise impact from the allocation of resources.

2.3 The conditions around public finances, Ministerial priorities and the shape and composition of built environment and creative industry organisations have evolved significantly since the previous review of the body. The economic analysis has also identified new opportunities for the growth of Scottish architecture and design.

A&DS role

2.4 The current aim of A&DS to make ‘the implementation of the Place Principle an everyday reality’ is derived from the policy direction within the Creating Places statement as well as increased focus on place-based working in Scotland. However, this has led to the role of the organisation moving away from architecture and design, resulting in low visibility of A&DS work in some key stakeholder areas. This limits the reach and impact of the organisation and has led to real and/ or perceived duplication with the role of other organisations.

2.5 Feedback from the architecture profession has been that awareness of current A&DS activity is very low. Priorities for the sector revolve around growing opportunity and supporting the benefits of design within high value sectors, such as construction. The role of design to develop solutions to societal problems was also highlighted as a strong opportunity not fully capitalised on.

2.6 Scotland has a high quality and very well-respected architecture profession and there may be benefits in adopting a more strategic approach which more directly supports the development of the architecture profession. A well-functioning and innovative architecture profession is then well placed to deliver economic benefits as well as applying the advantages of good design to a wider range of social and environmental outcomes.

Architecture practice

2.7 A compelling case exists to switch A&DS’s focus from promoting good design outcomes in the built environment towards supporting the architecture and design sector more actively.

2.8 As part of improving public services, there is good potential to consider A&DS design involvement in public projects to improve efficiency and impact. This involves developing a strong evidence base to help to embed high quality architectural design skills early in the process and throughout.

2.9 There is potential for architecture and design skills to develop solutions to social problems by initiatives aimed at addressing societal and environmental issues.

2.10 The economic analysis identified good export opportunities for architecture.

2.11 Developing networks and partnerships with design bodies in Scotland, the rest of the UK and internationally can help the increase resources A&DS can call on to develop its role. This can be extended to strengthening links with other design sub-sectors where knowledge transfer opportunities exist.

Cultural activity

2.12 Alongside supporting the health and impact of Scottish architecture practice, there is an important cultural role played by architecture and this has been acknowledged and supported through previous policy delivery work.

2.13 Including consideration of a public programme as part of sector development work may help to identify synergies and opportunities to promote and support architecture as both as a business activity and as cultural activity. In particular, the role of strategic partners and building on complementary activities has potential to maximise resources, activity, and impact.

2.14 Scottish architecture has benefited from international promotion, in particular through participation in the Venice architecture Biennale. An independent review^[2] of Scotland’s participation at the Venice Biennale was report published in April 2025 and stated that different tactics were needed for art and architecture. Consideration of other international promotion opportunities alongside any potential future participation in the Venice Biennale may help determine the maximum impact for any resources allocated to support this activity.

Centre of excellence

2.15 A shift towards supporting sectoral development may be combined with maintaining and strengthening functions on technical design expertise and there are good examples of this operating well in other public bodies. This would likely require a more streamlined and focussed approach around a clearly defined set of priorities. This prioritisation would provide opportunity for A&DS technical design expertise to be presented as a national centre of excellence.

2.16 This role may take a variety of forms, such as researching, collating, and publishing cutting edge developments in architecture and design; publishing strategic national guidance documents on design; providing design advisory service for nationally significant building and placemaking projects; coordinating architecture and design related activity across organisations nationally.

2.17 The A&DS design review function has been referenced positively by stakeholders and a similar function may support efficiency and good outcomes for major public sector capital investment/ nationally significant projects. Developing A&DS as a centre of excellence has potential to increase the viability of income generation through paid-for design advice services.

Income generation

2.18 Developing an income generation or cost recovery model would help support budget sustainability and potentially provide A&DS with resources to invest in innovation and development. Comparable models for income generation from other design organisations currently exist and operate successfully. Subsidy control issues would require to be explored in developing any income generation model.

2.19 Current constraints around public finances mean that income generation from public sector clients is likely to be challenging - in the short term at least - and there needs to be a clear benefit for service users and a viable client base. Income generation viability may be supported by developing the evidence base on the impact of design approaches based on research and exemplar models.

A&DS structure

2.20 The below options for structural reform are indicative only and provided for discussion and potential further exploration. They have not been examined in detail, nor tested for legal viability.

Maintain status quo

2.21 This would involve maintaining A&DS as stand-alone, arms-length body in its current form. Budget challenges and a transition to a refreshed role mean that maintaining A&DS in current form is likely to pressurise resources. Identifying additional routes of income generation from external sources within the short term is also unlikely, although this may be achievable over a longer timeframe.

2.22 A&DS operated a voluntary severance scheme in late 2024. Further reductions in the size of the organisation would place considerable pressure on its ability to deliver. Without proper consideration of medium to long term structure options, any savings through reducing the size of the organisation risk viability of the body.

In-house delivery of activities within Scottish Government

2.23 Fully integrating A&DS within SG core would effectively mean abolishing the public body, with the staff and functions transferred to government. There would be little in immediate savings through this route given A&DS’s high level of expenditure on staff costs that would require to be maintained due to non-compulsory redundancy policy. However, bringing A&DS staff into SG may deliver some efficiencies by releasing SG staff to resource other priorities and increasing overall capacity.

2.24 In the event of a transfer of the functions of A&DS to Scottish Government, the provision of design advice for individual projects would require careful consideration to avoid prejudicing Ministerial involvement in planning applications.

2.25 A move to integrate A&DS within Scottish Government would likely be perceived negatively by stakeholders and could be viewed as a significant removal of support for architecture and design and consequently an erosion of support for the climate agenda and sustainable development.

2.26 If A&DS were to be absorbed into core SG, then retaining a distinct design unit with a similar purpose to that of A&DS would go some way to addressing concerns. However, this would likely simply replicate the existing structure and functions with the loss of the advantages of the arms-length, independent operating model.

Merger/ ‘nested model’ within another publicly funded organisation

2.27 This model would involve A&DS either formally merging or developing a new shared governance and corporate structure with another organisation. Nested models can be structured where a distinct area of activity and resource is located within a larger host organisation, which often has a complementary overarching focus or purpose. Nested models operate successfully within other public body structures and provide efficiencies and shared resources whilst preserving distinct and operationally independent activities.

2.28 Benefits of adopting a nested model would include:

• retaining a distinct architecture and design body and professional skills within public sector
• retaining Ministerial oversight and accountability
• providing operating efficiencies and organisational resilience
• providing greater flexibility and delivery capacity than through Scottish Government
• opportunity to capitalise on synergies with other services provided by a host body
• increased potential to develop income generation/ cost recovery through linking with wider services within the host organisation
• opportunity to build on successful examples operating within public bodies

2.29 There are a variety of models for a nested approach from full merger and integration within a host body. The identification of an appropriate host organisation would be dependent on any changes to the role and functions of A&DS and the outcomes of any the wider public service reform agenda.

Merger within a not-for-profit organisation/ academia

2.30 Merger with a not-for profit or academic institution may increase the autonomy and independence of the organisation and transfer ongoing budget responsibility away from government to an external organisation. It may also deliver benefits in terms of cross-fertilisation of ideas and approaches not common to public sector working. It would, however, reduce the ability of government to directly influence the operations and functions. It would also alter the accountability of the organisation. It is likely to be perceived as a net loss of support for architecture and design by stakeholders.

Strategic partnerships

2.31 Reform of A&DS structure aims to increase the impact of the body. However, as a small organisation A&DS have limited resources with which to address significant policy challenges and priorities. Therefore, considering the activities of A&DS within a wider context of related organisations will help to optimise the ability of the body to effect positive change.

2.32 Strategic partnerships around architecture, the wider design sector, the creative industries, and the construction sector would provide a strong and coherent framework for A&DS to operate within. The operation of A&DS within a strategic partnership structure would be an important step for the body in pivoting its operations to focus more on supporting sectoral development.

Wider design remit

2.33 Evidence suggests there is value in exploring how the functions of A&DS may evolve to support design in a wider context, beyond that of the built environment. Experience from other countries such as Denmark as well as research undertaken by V&A Dundee and Creative Scotland suggests a strong community is important for developing the wider design sector.

2.34 The design community in Scotland is distributed across a range of disciplines. Scottish architecture currently has strong community with an active professional body (the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland) and a public sector body in A&DS which provides a robust framework to support sectoral development. Establishing a sound and well-functioning sector development and strategic partnership model for architecture has potential to be expanded to support other design disciplines over the longer term.

2.35 This model also has potential to increase the visibility and relevance of A&DS to a wider audience of potential public and private sector clients as part of an income generation approach.