Tapestry of the Unseen conceptualises place-based reviews, a collaborative process of engagement that Ryder has been developing in the past few years across various Scottish landscapes.
The approach is both strategic and people-centred – it meets in the middle to create a methodology for establishing place potential. Here, place is perceived not as a collection of individual elements, but as a tapestry of hidden interdependencies.
Driven by local identity, economy, context and climate, place reviews take a holistic overview of a location, involving stakeholders and the local community, becoming provocations for catalytic change.
These studies focus on the conditions of the ‘fringe’ - the edge of the land, aiming to unravel existing ‘threads’ of potential in an otherwise ruptured place.
Cartography has been used as a tool to represent these multi-layered connections, woven through the existing fabric.
The ‘notch’ is a place of transformational change, creating a ripple effect which stimulates reactionary outcomes across the landscape.
The ‘darn’ becomes an important asset to the place, acting as a catalyst in the process of mending the ruptured.
The wider connections are represented through ‘seams’, which sew the individual pieces of fabric together to create a more resilient place.
The tapestry envisions a future where symbiotic relationships weave together seamlessly, fostering harmony and inspiring transformative change.
Ryder Architecture is a multilayered practice, underpinned by an ethos of collaboration, continuous learning and a place and people-centred design philosophy. With offices across the UK and overseas, Ryder works across various sectors, including education, healthcare, residential, commercial and urban planning. Our approach to place is through understanding local identity and engaging with communities and stakeholders to deliver sustainable, inclusive and thriving places.