Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS), the Scottish Government's architecture and design agency, brought together key industry leaders at its Edinburgh Futures Institute base on Tuesday evening. The event marked the official announcement of the agency's Business Plan for the year ahead, the unveiling of two new strategic partnerships, and a preview of A&DS : SpACE—a temporary exhibition and event space dedicated to showcasing Scotland's architecture sector.

The Architecture and Design Scotland Business Plan for 2026/27 reflects the increasing importance of design in addressing critical national priorities. These focal points include the climate transition, housing delivery, economic renewal, and citizen wellbeing. Under the new plan, A&DS will focus on strengthening the capacity and impact of the sector through targeted development programmes, strategic partnerships, and by demonstrating the tangible value of design.

Jim MacDonald, Chief Executive of Architecture and Design Scotland, said: "In our Business Plan for 2026/27 we set out an important step forward for our organisation and the sector. We are honing our focus to better support the people and organisations who design and shape Scotland's buildings and places.

"Design has a critical role to play in meeting the challenges we face, and we are committed to helping unlock its full potential."

Recognising that collaboration is vital to achieving widespread impact, the agency announced two major strategic partnerships during the event.

The first partnership unites A&DS with BE-ST (Built Environment – Smarter Transformation), Scotland's national innovation centre for construction and the built environment. This collaboration will see both organisations work closely to align design with technical innovation across the built environment.

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Stephen Good, CEO of BE-ST, commented: "We are excited to welcome this new partnership between BE-ST and A&DS. There is clear alignment between our two organisations and a shared focus on driving policy for the built environment, which delivers better place outcomes, higher quality, climate resilient architecture and design, and more opportunities for all related sectors and supply chains.

"BE-ST and A&DS are dedicated to accelerating the built environment's just transition to net zero. We're looking forward to working together to identify new ways of delivering place-based, housing-led regeneration that maximises the potential for bio-based materials and modern methods of construction (MMC), like Scotland's world-class timber offsite manufacturing capability, to support the architecture and built environment sectors to thrive and create the neighbourhoods and infrastructure Scotland's communities deserves."

A second strategic partnership was revealed between A&DS, the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), and V&A Dundee, aimed at collectively supporting and promoting the Scottish architecture and design sector.

Announcing the collaboration, Leonie Bell, Director of V&A Dundee, said: "As V&A Dundee, Scotland's design museum, we are looking forward to working with our partners Architecture and Design Scotland and RIAS to celebrate Scotland's architects and architecture. Good architecture and design underpins our lives every day, creating spaces and places that help us, give us hope and makes us happy. Through this partnership, we will champion the role of architecture in Scotland as something to be supported, developed and celebrated at home in Scotland and around the world."

Tamsie Thomson, Chief Executive of RIAS, added: "We are excited to be working with Architecture and Design Scotland and V&A Dundee, as this new partnership presents an invaluable opportunity to combine our efforts, to amplify the importance of good architecture for Scotland, and strengthen its visibility.

"From the places that we love and care about, to the spaces that we rely on, good architecture matters because it shapes everyday life. It inspires us, while supporting how we choose to live, work and play. With that comes the responsibility of taking architecture and its impact on people seriously. Through this collaboration, we want to support and champion the people and practices that make up and represent our sector, in celebration of all that Scottish architecture has to offer. Together, we will be able to make sure that this continues to grow in Scotland and beyond."

Following the official launch of the 2026/27 Business Plan, Architecture and Design Scotland will begin rolling out a series of targeted initiatives over the coming months, working in tandem with its sector partners to deliver long-term results.

The core priorities detailed within the business plan focus on accelerating growth, building capacity, and creating new opportunities across Scotland's architecture and design sector. Additionally, the agency will work to unlock superior housing outcomes through design-led innovation, while embedding user-centred and design-led approaches directly into major public sector capital investment projects, including future learning and health estates.