I’m honoured that last year my dear friend Drew Gillespie asked myself and four others (Lauren Gillespie, Charlie Bevan, Andy Bevan and Ryan Canning) to be charity trustees of the Andrew Gillespie Trust and to set up his idea for a new travel scholarship for students of architecture.
Drew sadly passed away from metastasised cancer in May 2023, tragically cutting short his life and career as an architect. Some of you will have worked and studied with Drew, and you’ll have experienced his infectious passion for architecture, art and the built environment. The Trust and the Scholarship are Drew’s vision and way of continuing to give to the architectural profession and education long after his passing.
Over the past 6 months myself and the other trustees have been hard at work registering as a charity and setting the groundwork for Drew’s vision of the new travel scholarship called Collaborative Practice Pilgrimage (CPP).
We are delighted to have launched the CPP last week to architecture students at the University of Strathclyde. The travel scholarship offers funding to three students of architecture to travel and see the works of one architect or architectural practice, something Drew, myself and other friends did on several occasions, and we are richer as architects and as people for having undertaken these trips.
Please follow our instagram page @andrew_gillespie_trust and visit the beautiful website designed by Ryan Canning (link in bio). This contains details about the trust, its mission, and a beautiful biography about Drew written by Lauren Gillespie.
I’m happy to share that my 1:50 hand drawn pencil elevation of The Glasgow School of Art has been featured at the 200th @royal_scottish_academy Annual Exhibition, and was recipient of the RSA Medal for Architecture!
Damaged by the first fire in 2014, and decimated by the second fire in 2018, Glasgow School of Art is currently a charred shell of stone and brick. 2026 marks the 8th year of Glasgow School of Art in this state. Now scaffolding, so often a symbol of progress and renewal, has become an almost permanent feature of how we currently perceive ‘The Mack’.
‘Glasgow School of Art - 2026’ documents the current state of the building encrusted in scaffolding.
There are so many amazing works of art and architecture on show, so make sure you visit the exhibition which is on until June 14th.
Prints will be available soon.
Huge thanks to @finlays_picture_framing for helping with framing the 2.1m long drawing!
A sneak peek from the making of my hand drawing that is going to be exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy’s 200th annual exhibition. Opening this weekend.
@royal_scottish_academy
After some requests for prints of my India Building Drawing, I’m happy to share that these are now available to purchase on Etsy! Use the link in my bio to take you there.
These are giclée printed onto hahnemühle german etching paper, and are available in either A2 or A3 paper size.
Bespoke sizes to suit particular frames are available on request.
#architecturedrawing
#architectureprint
#pencildrawing
I’m delighted that my drawing of the India Buildings in Glasgow is featured in the 199th RSA Annual Exhibition!
Demolished in 2024, the grade B listed India Buildings typifies what is currently happening to much of Glasgow's historic architecture. Once a fine building, left to ruin through neglect, and condemned to demolition. The artwork juxtaposes a classical style architecture drawing with the buddleia and graffiti that adorned the buildings before its demise.
If you are in Edinburgh then go along to the RSA to see all the amazing artwork and architecture on show.
https://lnkd.in/e7CStvWN
#royalscottishacademy
#glasgowarchitecture
Delighted that my chess set ‘function follows form’ was displayed at this year’s Royal Scottish Academy annual exhibition. This is on display until the 11th of June.
The sculptural jesmonite chess set explores the relationship between architectural form and chess hierarchy. Chess is an ancient game of parts, with the key being how one can successfully interrelate multiple pieces, each of which has inherent strengths, constraints on movement and weaknesses.
Architecture too bears this relationship, where the merits of a project can be explored through the interwoven relationship between its component parts; be they structure, fenestration, mass, light or form.
Historically, the relative power of each chess piece has been explored through form; from the Lewis Chessmen and the Staunton chess set, to the chess boards of Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp and the Bauhaus. Function follows Form draws upon architectural references to explore the formal nature of hierarchy, expression, symbolism and articulation.
#chess
#chessset
#rsa
