Nestled at the top of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's first ever commissioned building, the Doocot cafe roosts unassumingly overlooking the Christmas shoppers of Glasgow's Buchanan Street. 

At the time of its conception in 1865, Mackintosh was a young draughtsman working in the architectural practice of Honeyman and Keppie. Mackintosh's first commission would house a creative trade of a different kind to the art and high-end design pieces of today - until the late eighties it was the work premises of the Glasgow Herald.

These days, we know the seminal structure that is the Glasgow Herald Building's iconic tower as its current guise, The Lighthouse.

But the space was originally designed to contain an 8000-gallon water tank to protect the Herald and its contents from the risk of fire in what was, historically, a place of high temperatures and risky working environs.

Historically, the ground floor of the building was occupied as the production side of the business with newspapers dispatched from platforms that opened into the street.

A level up, editorial and commercial staff worked in accordance together but the progression of new printing technology demanded a building better suited to modern developments.

The space stood empty for 15 years after the Herald moved to new premises and was only revitalised after a suggestion was made by the 1999 City of Architecture and Design bid committee for the building to be altered and extended to accommodate a new centre for architecture and design.

Set back from Glasgow's main shopping thoroughfare up the unusually narrow street that is Mitchell Lane, it's easy to imagine the The Lighthouse's past life.

As a location, its position encapsulates the idea of being hidden in plain sight thanks to its stone's throw proximity to the bustle of Buchanan Street, but the dark, concealed entrance and peaceful interior affords the building a feeling of being somewhere other than its city centre position.

Level five of the space, The Doocot cafe, is a multifunctional eating space not just restricted to patrons looking for a soup pit stop mid shop (though, naturally, it's a popular haunt for the be-carrier bagged).

Apparently so-called after the function of the space when used by the Herald to receive messenger pigeons delivering the season's football scores, what's on offer inside nowadays veers more towards comestibles than Caley Thistle and Christmas is no different.

This festive period, The Doocot will give away free mince pies with hot drinks (including gingerbread lattes) as well as warming winter options for lunch and light bites.

Those looking for refuge from the weather (and Christmas shoppers) have long sought The Lighthouse out as a place to seek comfort and refreshment - but 2014 will see the space turned into a destination for design aficionados determined to shop local thanks to the host of gifts from Scottish makers on sale at pop-up shops held throughout December.

If it's a Christmas that eschews the stress of high street shopping you're after, The Lighthouse has it wrapped up. On the 6th and 13th of the month, pop-up venture Legitimate Likenesses will set up shop in the building offering gifts and quirky items relating to the Alice Dansey-Wright exhibition currently held in the gallery space. For sale are a host of curiosities including digitally printed silk scarves, porcelain plates, and posters as well as actual items from the exhibition available to buy once the show has closed.

On December 6 and 7, Gallery 4 of The Lighthouse will be transformed into a real-life living room featuring work from Scottish designers in the hope to encourage customers to recreate the look in their own homes and support the quality of handmade artists' work. Pieces shown at the exhibition - 11 Mitchell Lane - by Analogue Social will all be for sale.

The end of the month (December 14 and 21) will welcome the Tea Green festive markets to the Lighthouse, with the first 30 visitors receiving goodie bags and mulled wine served. Conceived by artist Joanne MacFadyen, Tea Green aims to encourage relationships between exhibitors as the fair travels to various venues in Scotland. Jewellery from makers Catriona Clark and Ruth Morrison will sit beside wall prints by Susan Ward and art from Glasgow School of Art alumni Lucy Gordon.

A space in Glasgow honouring the work of one of the country's finest design talents by supporting the output from the next generation of makers - no one could argue that The Lighthouse isn't proving its worth as an progressive arts space this Christmas.

For more information on what's on at The Lighthouse this Christmas visit www.thelighthouse.co.uk