Collaboration between researchers in Edinburgh schools of architecture, landscape architecture and the built environment dates back several decades. Our aim has always been to streamline research and education in, and across, these three closely related domains and their related disciplines. Ties were formalised through the Project for the Alignment of Architectural Education in East Central Scotland, funded by the Scottish Funding Council, which ran from 2005-2009. They were strengthened further by the merger, in August 2011, of Edinburgh College of Art with the University of Edinburgh.

How we work: We have a joint Alliance Research Committee to foster excellence in research and support a range of techniques and approaches to enquiry. We have strategy-formulating away days and focused meetings for the early exchange of information on particular research themes. We run a lively joint seminar series for staff and postgraduate research students, a growing number of whom receive cross-institutional supervision. We have a number of joint teaching and learning programmes, provide kick-start funding to collaborative projects involving early career researchers and operate as an outreach vehicle for working with communities beyond the academy.

Inaugural Meeting June 2011