Ten years on from devolution, Scottish contemporary architecture is, as the following highlights strongly suggest, not only alive and kicking, but also seemingly punching above its weight.
Indeed more than ever Scottish architects are strutting their stuff in the international arena: from RMJM in Russia and Sutherland Hussey in China, as well as the following featured projects - Hutton, Dalziel and Scullion’s pavilion installation in Jeddah and NORD’s Olympic Park monolithic substation in London.
Closer to home recently emerged key public buildings, including Reiach and Hall’s new Stobhill Hospital and Archial’s Animal Hospital in Glasgow, have effectively upped the ante in terms of leading edge healthcare design and in doing so could readily occupy any European stage.
On a more intimate level, and addressing Scotland’s more windswept and wilder terrain, young practices such as Skye based Rural Design and Dualchas are demonstrating an increasing willingness to embrace riskier and more experimental, yet nevertheless site sympathetic, design. Caledonia dreaming, in many built instances, is becoming a reality.