The Scottish Civic Trust welcomes new Trustees

The Scottish Civic Trust is pleased to announce that Thierry Lye, Calum Maclean and Gordon Murray have taken up their roles as Trustees of the Scottish Civic Trust Board as of 1 September 2022.

The Scottish Civic Trust was founded in 1967 to help people connect with their built environment and to take a leading role in guiding its development. Trustees are responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Trust, ensuring the safe stewardship of funds and supporting professional staff.

As new Trustees, Thierry, Calum and Gordon will help guide the Trust’s Diverse Heritage project, champion sustainable heritage as a key way to address the Climate Crisis and support the Scotland-wide Doors Open Days festival.

Sue Evans, Chair of the Scottish Civic Trust, said: “I am delighted to welcome our three new Trustees to the Board. Gordon, Calum and Thierry bring with them considerable experience in architecture, design, place-making, built heritage, building restoration, community engagement, research, communications and business management. Their talents strengthen the skillsets of Trustees and will be invaluable in 2023 when we begin shaping our next forward strategy.”

Thierry Lye is a chartered architect based in Glasgow. Originally from Malaysia, Thierry graduated from the Mackintosh School of Architecture. He has worked on many high profile projects across the UK. Since joining Austin-Smith:Lord in 2021, Thierry has found his interest in architectural conservation, building retrofit and community empowerment. Outside work, Thierry has been actively involved in the New Glasgow Society (NGS) since 2015, and recently became Chairperson of the Society. Other than leading on activities within NGS, Thierry is also keen to make architecture physically and culturally accessible to all.

Thierry Lye, new Scottish Civic Trust Trustee, said: “After years of working with different communities in Glasgow, I’m excited to join the Scottish Civic Trust and to expand my passion and enthusiasm to the whole of Scotland. I look forward to working alongside the SCT team and trustees on improving the built environment.”

Calum Maclean is a conservation architect accredited at advanced level by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. He has over 25 years of experience working in private practice managing the design and construction of building projects. He is the founding Director of MAAC Studio ltd, which is based in Inverness and is focused on the conservation of historic properties and scheduled monuments throughout the Highlands. He has carried out extensive research on the history of architecture in the Highlands, and is author of The architecture of Inverness and Alexander Ross: Architect of the Highlands. Calum regularly participates in talks, exhibitions and events within the Highlands to develop public awareness and appreciation of architecture and the built environment. He is also the Cathedral Architect for St Andrew’s Cathedral, Inverness.

Calum Maclean, new Scottish Civic Trust Trustee, said: “I am delighted to be joining the Scottish Civic Trust Board. Our architectural heritage is about much more than tourism. Our built environment has an important role to play in building communities, tackling climate change and supporting health and well-being in every town and village in Scotland. The Trust has a fantastic strategy for engaging with communities in innovative ways, raising the profile of Scotland’s architectural heritage and keeping it relevant in a changing cultural landscape.”

Professor Gordon Murray is an architect, teacher and design mentor. His work has been exhibited widely at the Royal Institute of British Architects, the 2004 Venice Biennale and Royal Scottish Academy. He has previously taught at Schools of Architecture in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Dundee and Newcastle, and was Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Strathclyde from 2007-2016. He is now Visiting Professor at Strathclyde as well as External Examiner at Liverpool John Moore’s University. He also currently assists in studio in Manchester Metropolitan University on the Continuity in Architecture Course – Adaptive Re-use. He was President of The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) from 2003-5 and a Trustee of the Lighthouse from 2003-09. He is currently Chair of RIAS Services Limited. A founding principal in architectural practices gm+ad and GMA, he merged with Ryder Architecture in 2011/12 becoming a Partner in that organisation as well as design champion for the global practice. He retired from Ryder in 2020 and set up a research and design consultancy.

Gordon Murray, new Scottish Civic Trust Trustee, said: “The Scottish Civic Trust has a long-established reputation for celebrating Scotland’s built environment by encouraging collaboration and participation with those impacted upon by the changing nature of our buildings and places. I hope to be able to assist in maintaining the continuity of these objectives, acknowledging that many of our finest environments have been positively changed by 20th century interventions. A sustainable future will demand a more critical evaluation of our built heritage underpinning a new approach to conservation and re-use.”

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