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:

• About Architecture and Design Scotland
• About Land Use Consultants (LUC)
• Learn more about the HamiltonHill Claypits Local Nature Reserve
• Upcoming event - What next for place? Unlocking the power of place: design, data & collaboration
• Learn more about Architecture and Design Scotland's Value of Design campaign