The Herald

Architects and designers were yesterday urged to pursue five principles when building homes, schools, hospitals, offices and other public places. The appeal was made in a government architectural strategy the Scottish Executive hopes will foster "excellence" in buildings constructed to stand the test of time. However, the leader of the country's architecture body also warned that Scotland had not yet accepted that "great architecture and design" was necessary at all levels. The five objectives were outlined by Patricia Ferguson, Culture Minister, in Building Our Legacy, an updated version from the original, which was published in 2001. In part, the revised policy has been inspired by changes in the architectural landscape since, including the establishment of the Scottish Building Standards Agency and Architecture and Design Scotland, the quango formed to encourage high-quality work.