Yasmin Ali

In advance of the A+DS event Design Skills Symposium, The Scottish Government ran a primer workshop based on drawing skills called Drawing Places, in conjunction with A+DS. The workshop was aimed at built environment professionals from non-design backgrounds and particularly relevant to planners. The lessons and techniques learned from Drawing Places are designed to be transposable to the masterplanning session at the forthcoming Skills Symposium.

The workshop also served to remind professionals of how design skills, and spatial awareness, are important to the town planning profession. Many of the attendees started the day professing not being able to draw yet produced well considered, high quality drawn responses, as shown in this selection of images. Attendees praised many aspects of the day's lessons, including discovering the joy of sketching and the ability of sketches to bring ideas to life.

Delegates were also keen to take the knowledge gained back to their offices. One local authority  attendee is thinking of rolling out a similar programme as lunchtime CPD sessions for Development Standards and Development Planning Officers.

// With thanks to Susie Stirling who led the workshop with contributions from JMArchitects and Anderson Bell Christie.