Staff Research Profiles

Design

The design was developed by Lisa Mackenzie and facilitated by the Lighthouse, Glasgow, Scotland's national centre for architecture and the built environment. Role of Author/Contribution/Output: Lisa Mackenzie engaged with 1st year pupils of Sir E Scott School, Tarbert, Isle of Harris, over a two year period developing a series of participative workshops in order to take inventory of the landscape resources available to the children in an unparalleled environment in rural Scotland. Significance: The project was used as an exemplar design for the Scottish Executive's initiative to improve the quality of learning environments throughout Scotland. Project presented by Mackenzie at the 'Senses of Place Conference', 'Designing Scotland's Future Schools', The Lighthouse, 25th May 2006. Project presented by Mackenzie at the 'Building up Connections' Conference, Glasgow, 1st and 2nd March 2007. IDES national Conference, Stirling, 2007: Project presented by Lisa Mackenzie and Gordon Macdonald (Head teacher) in relation to 'A Curriculum for Excellence' Methods and Processes: The research innovation lay in the use of young participants as co-researchers, informing design concepts through a process that awakened and articulated cultural identities that had formerly been hidden. It brought to the surface elements of place experience that the young people themselves had not clearly identified or which had lain at a sub-conscious level before. The resulting proposal responds to this rich process and sets new standards for participatory design in future. Consultation themes: What is biodiversity? Introducing Sustainability, Distance and Scale, Taking Inventory, Interaction and Play, Climate, Thinking in 3D, Ecosystems. Rigour: Throughout the projects the participatory methods used were assessed and evaluated by The Lighthouse Educational Team and Ian Barr, an independent project evaluator. A workshop was held in Stornoway on the 31st May 2006 involving all the key stakeholders and Eileen Gill, Head of Schools Estate Branch, The Scottish Executive.

ISSN/ISBN: 1-905061-06-04 Location: Sir E Scott School, Tarbert, Isle of Harris Pagination: 10, 60-63 Publisher: The Lighthouse, Glasgow Editor: Anne Cunningham