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Architecture students set corporate living challenge

Architecture students from Robert Gordon University's Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment in Aberdeen have been challenged to create a vision of future city centre conceptual living.

Stonehouse Property, an executive letting firm based in the Granite City, has joined forces with Year 2 Architecture students by setting them the task of constructing plans for hypothetical apartments to home visiting oil workers in the city's West End.

The students have been given a detailed brief to design prototypical blocks of accommodation for Stonehouse Property, who are acting as the client. The executive letting firm has given the students detailed information on the type of clients they deal with and who this type of accommodation would be aimed at. The 55 students, working in teams of three, have also been given guidelines on interiors, living spaces, technology, convenience and sustainability issues to take into consideration.

The project aims to address the needs of future oil and energy professionals living in the city with purpose-built accommodation as opposed to high-end business apartments and long hotel stays which are readily available in the city at the moment. A typical location in the West End of Aberdeen has also been selected (where the images above and below were taken).

Neil Lamb, Senior Lecturer at the School believes the project offers the students a valuable insight into working with real life companies.

"The University is delighted to be working with such a progressive company as Stonehouse Property on this innovative project," he said.

"It has real relevance to the city and for the professionals living and working here. This is the sort of live project students would encounter in their working lives after graduation.

They are all relishing the challenge ahead and we're all looking forward to seeing their ideas and concepts take shape in the coming weeks."

The project, which has just been launched, will see students present developing proposals to the client, culminating in a final proposal that will include plans, models and photographs, just before Christmas. Stonehouse will review the proposals and select a shortlist of six schemes for final judging in January and prizes will be given to the best designs. The executive letting firm will be working closely with the students throughout the process in order to allow them to test ideas and develop concepts.

Students will be assessed by the School during the project and it will count towards their semester grade.

Stonehouse Property managing director Ross Murray commented:

"The oil and gas market forms a key strand of our core business so this project is of particular relevance to us and will allow the students to build up some practical experience of pitching an idea to real life companies," he said.

"This project will really add to the students' academic learning and is a great opportunity for them to showcase their skills and flair for architecture."

Stonehouse Property manage 300 properties in and around the Aberdeen city centre, focusing primarily on new build, high quality property, and Senior Lecturer Neil Lamb believes that the students can gain invaluable experience from this project.

Neil continued: "The students really benefit from live client-led projects which add another dimension to their learning experience.

"It's great that companies like Stonehouse are willing to partner up with the University and we look forward to building on this relationship in the future."

Image above: William Garden, Neil Lamb, Daniel Kemp, Ross Murray, Caitlin Christie.

Main Image: Daniel Kemp (student), William Garden (student), Neil Lamb (Senior Lecturer), Ross Muray (Stonehouse Property MD) and Caitlin Christie.

Images reproduced courtesy of Robert Gordon University.