Perth Creative Commons aims to redevelop Perth’s rail line into a new urban corridor and develop several sites along this route, establishing a diverse creative community. It is achieved through a vision driven strategy that enables ‘collaborators’ to contribute through a self-build framework. The project aims to attract young professionals and entrepreneurs from across multiple disciplines, from traditional arts to tech and engineering.

The Vicenza Arts and Craft School was designed to generate 4200 sq metres of multi-purpose space and offer a path to education in traditional Vicenzan techniques of jewellery design and production as well as contemporary courses in graphic and technology based design. The complex was also designed to accommodate a portion of the Vicenzaoro Expo during out of term times, as well as other major events and gatherings. The site is situated within a five minute walk of the city centre.

The brief was to design a dance studio for the charity 'Workshop & Artists Studio Provision Scotland' (WASPS) through the University of Dundee, which will offer affordable spaces to artists and performers. The initial brief included four dance studios, a mixed use art space, and a café on the River Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland. The proposal replaces a partially derelict theatre with a new community hub.

The proposal was completed by a group of four as part of a week long challenge. The brief was to design a new church steeple as the original plan was incomplete from a lack of funding during the church's construction. The proposed design drew heavily on Scandinavian architecture and a light tectonic structure which inserted within the existing steeple base reducing the towers impact on the existing condition.

The proposal for student accommodation would occupy a gap site in the heart of Cambridge at one of its most renowned Colleges, Christ’s College. The brief included 12 residences, two flats, lobby, offices, reflective space, library, and several other amenities. The final design consisted of two main blocks positioned along the peripheries of the site preserving the courtyard typology.

The proposed school sits on the banks of the River Alyth, a small town in Scotland. The school would accommodate children from primary 1-7 plus a nursery. It was important to divide the playground into two halves, younger and older children (1-4/5-7). This informed the building's layout constituting a central divide. This central volume would hold the fixed classroom spaces with flexible program and the gymnasium occupying the northern boundary.

The terraced house project was envisioned as part of the Dundee Riverfront Redevelopment. The traditional typologies of Holland, Belgium and France offered early inspiration, pulling from different eras and cultures. These homes were explored in detail and documented. The home was designed as one component in a larger master plan for the neighbourhood which would follow set policies on height, materiality and dimensions.

‘What if…? / Scotland’ responds to the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia's theme ‘How will we live together?’ The exhibit paired local citizens from Scotland – with designers, architects, and artists. ’What if…? / Scotland’ re-engages the civic role of design professionals by asking communities from across Scotland to share their hopes and dreams for the future of the places they call home.

Using the brief as a starting point for discussion and a spark for creativity the team collaborated with a "design outsider" - an NGO volunteer and former exchange student at the University of Dundee. The goal was to reimagine the Dundee waterfront by enhancing connectivity to the rest of Dundee city centre.

Aakar Design Consultancy - Top 20 Finalist Award. The CLT induction was set up by Aakar design consultants and sponsored by Mitsubishi Estate, its aim was to introduce CLT construction to the Indian market. Construction in India currently comprises of mainly concrete and steel building techniques with little thought given to sustainable design.

Design Outsider worked as facilitators in workshops with University of Dundee Urban Planning students anchored around one question: how could a reimagined landscape and a mass replanting of trees help bring back life to old places of work, identify new clusters of homes and ventures, and provide a new focus for a dynamic rural economy?

Using the brief as a starting point for discussion and a spark for creativity the team collaborated with a 'design outsider' - a primary teacher with a background in outdoor education. The goal was to design a children's play furniture prototype.

YAC award - The Power of Steel (MANNI group) Young Architects Competitions and Manni Group​ launched DETROIT WATERFRONT DISTRICT, a competition of ideas aiming to shape a new skyline for the city of Detroit by designing its future leisure and entertainment core. The competition was a collaboration with the Sterling Group and supported by TATA Steel.

Our ‘Creative Commons’ prototype is an online platform that works in tandem with a supportive local planning system. At its core, the 'Creative Commons' is a platform for collaboration and planning, a digital playground to explore ideas, proposals, organizing events and promoting members of the creative community. 

It’s time to think differently about how generations interact, ways in which they can build relationships and if desired address local challenges. With accelerated change around the world amplified by the pandemic experience, how can we expand opportunities for elders and young children to participate together in public life?

Why are so many designers failing to meet the needs of people? This is the question we asked when reflecting on our collective interdisciplinary professional and educational experiences ranging from architecture, planning, urban design to education.

Innovation and creativity are key to designing agile and resilient cities that can avoid or at least mitigate potential crises or catastrophes. A creative innovative city inspires a diverse and resilient community of creatives that delivers a progressive and comprehensive strategy for the future based on research, reflection & critical assessment.

Is there a way to better understand what elements contribute to a 'creative city'? In this article we highlight the United Nations Creative Cities Network and the Creative Cities Index developed by Charles Landry and Jonathan Hyams.

Creativity needs to be cultivated throughout society in order to build creative cities that are inclusive of not only a ‘creative class’ but all citizens. We can strive for creative cities, but we also need creative approaches by creative professionals enabled by creative leadership.

In part four of our ongoing series on creativity and innovation in cities, we explore key ideas from ‘Making Massive Small Change’, the application of the book's principles with examples from around the world, and next steps for the movement.

In this article we explore examples that enable creativity, empower 'collaborators', and envision new possibilities. We engage with the power of asking 'what if' to share inspiring examples of innovative constructions that allow for individual creativity, encourage positive social interaction, and foster a stronger sense of community.