In a letter sent following the Scottish Parliament elections, the professional body argues that the strategy underestimates systemic weaknesses in construction delivery, including an over‑reliance on lowest‑cost procurement, weak design governance and limited professional oversight. RIAS says these issues pose ongoing risks to public safety, resilience and long‑term value for money.

RIAS draws attention to the absence of explicit reference to building safety and quality as strategic risks, despite findings from the Edinburgh Schools Inquiry, the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

Tamsie Thomson, chief executive of RIAS, said infrastructure strategy needed to reflect hard lessons already learned.

“Infrastructure strategy is not simply about capital programmes or delivery pipelines,” she said. “It is about whether Scotland is investing in buildings and places that are safe, resilient and capable of serving the public over decades.”

She added that public inquiries had repeatedly demonstrated how early decisions on procurement and governance directly affected safety outcomes.

“The evidence shows that lowest‑cost approaches and reduced professional oversight increase long‑term risk. Treating design as a downstream technical service, rather than a strategic capability, undermines quality, accountability and public confidence.”

“Grenfell and the subsequent Hackitt Review made clear that weak oversight, fragmented responsibility and cost‑driven decision‑making create systemic danger. It is therefore gravely worrying when building safety is not given explicit strategic weight in public policy, including through addressing Scotland’s broken building procurement system.”

RIAS also argues that the strategy does not go far enough in embedding retention, adaptation and reuse of existing buildings as core infrastructure activity, despite their importance to net zero and whole‑life value. The organisation warns that demolition‑led approaches increase carbon emissions and result in the loss of economic and social value.

The body is calling on the newly elected Scottish Government to use the post‑election period to fix the strategy by placing building safety, design quality, procurement reform and professional capability at its centre.

RIAS has offered to work with ministers, officials and delivery bodies to support revisions to the strategy, including improving early design leadership, procurement practices and public‑sector commissioning capability.

“This is an opportunity for the new Government to set a clearer and more responsible direction that addresses long-standing construction industry concerns,” Thomson said. Supporting a properly resourced professional architectural design sector will deliver better infrastructure for everyone.”