FROM the volunteers who travel to far-flung places to build orphanages and schools and the children who benefit from them, to the locals who turn out in force to lend a hand, it's the people behind Orkidstudio's projects who really matter.

It's an odd assertion from an architect - that the end result, the actual building itself, isn't what he'd like you to focus on.

But once you find out a little more about what this charity is all about, it makes perfect sense.

"Most architecture exhibitions have lots of lovely glossy photos, with no people in them, and perfect, polished models, which are all about saying 'look at our buildings, aren't they fantastic," smiles James Mitchell, Orkidstudio's founder.

"Of course we think we are producing buildings of high quality, but it's the process of creating them, and who creates them, that's more important."

James set up the charity in 2008 with two fellow students, who have since left. Short for Orphaned Kids Studio, it is a non-profit humanitarian organisation which helps young people in communities around the world through innovative and sustainable architecture, art and design.

Their first projects included building a new kitchen and communal space for a Ugandan orphanage and school; classrooms and an outdoor performance area for a carpentry training facility in Bolivia; and a chicken shed for the Mutende Children's Village in Zambia.

Adventurer and broadcaster Mark Beaumont signed up as patron and the team has grown to six, with James joined by Gaynor Duthie, David Fleck, Grace Mark, Guylee Simmonds and Tom Woodward.

Applications from volunteers willing to work on the projects run into hundreds.

"It's been a busy couple of years," grins James, who is now lecturing in humanitarian architecture at Glasgow School of Art.

The exhibition, Empowerment - Social Change Through Building, is co-curated by James and Guylee, is at the Lighthouse until March 1.

"We thought long and hard about having any exhibition at all, given the kind of work we are doing," explains James.

"And the fact that the budget for the exhibition (not paid for by the charity, of course - it's being funded by The Lighthouse and Creative Scotland) is more than some of the projects we worked on.

"But it gives us the chance to tell the stories of the people at the heart of these projects."

The exhibition uses video, audio and the written word to introduce visitors to the characters Orkidstudio have met around the globe.

Short films will be shown in what is probably the world's first cinema built out of earth bags, the standard woven grain bags filled with soil used as building materials.

"It's cheaper than brick or stone, it's long-lasting, and it's easier to work with meaning more people can get involved," explains James.

"In the countries we work in, there is no red tape to cut through, no heavy health and safety regulations, which means we can involve local people, who learn new skills.

"We employ women, too - unprecedented in that part of the world - and have set up a subsidiary to create opportunities for people to run their own businesses."

Recent examples have included soap-making in Cambodia and egg sales in Zambia.

"The point is that sometimes gifting a building isn't the answer to anything," says James. "But by creating those opportunities, people can then generate their own income."

The exhibition will run until March, at which point James hopes to be able to resume work on a project in Sierra Leone, halted by the arrival of the Ebola virus.

"We are building five classrooms for the Swawou Layout Community Primary School for Girls in Kenema," says James.

"It is a charitable school that provides free education to around 40 underprivileged girls in the area, and it currently operates from rented premises. We're helping them build their own facility - but we had only been there 10 days when the outbreak happened.

"Everything stopped - and I suppose that's the impact of the virus we don't really understand over here."

He adds: "Everyone knows it's a health risk, but we watched the whole community come to a halt - building work ceased, the schools didn't open. It's devastating. We need to get back out there, because the school needs its roof."

Orkidstudio has six projects planned for 2015 so far, in India, Cameroon and Ghana among others.

In the meantime, however, James is concentrating on welcoming visitors to the exhibition.

"We want people to come in and listen and look and disagree or agree," he says, slowly.

"It doesn't really matter if people don't like the buildings, we just want them to have some kind of discussion about it."

Empowerment - Social Change Through Building runs until March 1 at The Lighthouse. Find out more at www.orkidstudio.co.uk or www.thelighthouse.co.uk