Scottisharchitecture.com is an online architecture centre, that is part of Architecture and Design Scotland's ACCESS to Architecture Programme. The website is designed to engage, inform and illuminate on all aspects of Scottish architecture and the built environment, across as wide an audience range as possible - from students and young people taking part in related workshops to professionals looking for lively and up-to-date news and debate.
Scottisharchitecture.com offers an important portal to information relating to projects delivered by the ACCESS to Architecture programme. The website also provides:
- comprehensive and constantly updated news;
- diary details of forthcoming events around Scotland;
- regularly updated features on new buildings and places;
- an education resource aimed at learners across all ages;
- articles, interviews and blogs reflecting the latest thoughts and developments happening across Scotland and beyond.
Scottisharchitecture.com considers the virtual visitor every bit as important as our real exhibition visitors and event participants.
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In phase one of the project 240 students at Kingsford Primary School in Aberdeen used interconnecting materials to design and build a labyrinth inspired by the story of Icarus. Designed with reference to Price’s ideas around temporary structures and buildings that can move and transform according to the users needs, the labyrinth was made from push-fit plumbing materials allowing it to be dismantled and moved or recycled to create other structures.
Indeed in March 2011 the same materials were used for extreme den building workshops in Glasgow schools before the labyrinth made a final appearance and was rebuilt by students of Blackfriars primary school in the Briggait. Working with support from Strathclyde University student volunteers the primary 4 children spent a day putting together the structure where it was open to the public for a week.
Hanneke Scott-van Wel of Stone Opera facilitated the Aberdeen workshops and the rebuild in the Briggait. “It’s extremely important to give young people and children the opportunity to express their opinions and ideas for the built environment. These workshops are a playful introduction to architecture.”
Once built, all students at the school had an opportunity to play and explore the spaces within the labyrinth before it was dismantled and removed. Jayne Watson, Deputy Head of Kingsford Primary School considered the impact on the students of the experience to be considerable “To see something from beginning to end, that they were part of, to be involved in the whole process from the theory to the finished project, that’s huge!”
In phase two of the project 120 students from St Machar’s Academy in Aberdeen spent two weeks designing and building an impressive structure influenced by Price’s ideas about spaces that are adaptable to the user’s needs. The students developed this idea further and used everyday, recycled and repurposed materials to create environments that were designed to challenge and distort the normal perception. Playing with senses and sensations, a series of five rooms was created each focusing on a different material and the ways in which they can be utilised and manipulated to unusual effect.
Comprising a shiny room made of reflective material, a plastic room made of thousands of disposable cups, a soft room made of fabric and wool with dangling tentacles, a cardboard room with 3D walls and a rubber room made of bicycle tyres and elastic bands, the corridor was a multi sensory experience in which visitors found themselves somewhat at the mercy of their environment yet still able to interact with it.
“All the ideas for the interiors of the rooms came from the students directly’” says Hanneke of the final design. “We provided them with inspiration and materials and their creativity and enthusiasm did the rest.”
The ‘No longer than we need it’ exhibition is the final outcome of a partnership between Architecture and Design Scotland and the National Theatre of Scotland. From August 2010 A+DS joined forces with NTS to develop these innovative school workshops as part of the EXTREME project – a major Aberdeen arts project combining sports, theatre, dance, music and art in a series of city-wide events and workshops. The project culminated in the production “There’s Nothing to See Here” a major community, interactive theatre event. The Linksfield Community Centre opened its doors for the final time to host the event, which ran from 11th to 23rd March 2011, before being demolished later in the year.
The five rooms featured as part of the set for the show in the ambient room which was visited by over 1100 people. Joe McTaggart, principal teacher of Art and Design at St Machars Academy was delighted with the collaboration, “I’m really impressed with the interdisciplinary work that happened with the National Theatre. Initially I didn’t think it was going to work but then as soon as I saw it I thought, wow, this is really quite wonderful. I was very pleased.