The objective was to create a new institution for the Glasgow Building Preservation Trust (GBPT), one that could find its place among the city’s many existing institutions while grounding itself in the urban context. The proposal seeks to establish a harmonious program that fosters movement, collaboration, and admiration.

A key element of the project focuses on redefining the ground floor. In contrast to the current disjointed layout of awkwardly connected rooms and circulation, the new design envisions a clearly defined, continuous ground floor spanning an entire city block. It connects Sauchiehall Street and Renfrew Street, serving both as a physical journey for users and as an open gallery space. This space would display artefacts drawn from the Trust’s archives and ongoing work.

These artefacts reflect the charitable legacy of the GBPT and its decades of preservation efforts. Displayed along this journey-oriented ground floor, the new architectural interventions are framed by the exposed masonry brick walls of the original structure. Rather than concealing imperfections, the design embraces them, using the historic nature as a testament to the building’s past and the enduring mission of GBPT to protect Glasgow’s architectural heritage.