boom saloon x A&DS: Design Dial In

boom saloon x A&DS are holding a Design Dial In at the Edinburgh Futures Institute on Thursday 26 November, from 10:00 to 13:00. It's part of the boom saloon x A&DS collection and the Calling boom saloon series, which looks at how the place where people work shapes the change they make.

The format is the same for each session: it starts with a pre-recorded conversation between boom saloon members and practitioners, then opens up to a live call with international guests. You can text in your questions in real time, and Edinburgh-based contributors keep the discussion going in the room. This one is framed around 'architecture as direct action' — what the built environment can do when it moves, adapts and organises itself outside institutional frameworks, and how people, projects and practices shape places without waiting for permission.

It's hosted at A&DS:SpACE, a pop-up venue for design and architecture run by Architecture and Design Scotland and Space for Architecture, Carbon & Environment. The space is inside the Edinburgh Futures Institute from September to December 2026, so this is one of a handful of sessions held there before it closes for the season.

One practical thing to get right: A&DS:SpACE is on Level 0 of the EFI East Wing, next to Middle Meadow Walk. You enter from Middle Meadow Walk, not through the main EFI building, so don't head for the main entrance. It runs from 10:00 to 13:00 on Thursday 26 November; it's free for boom saloon members and £10 general admission for non-members.