Scotland: First semester work

Architecture and Extreme Environments fieldwork Exhibition. Opens 24th of January at 4 pm.

Scotland's diverse landscapes and environmental challenges make it a compelling setting tor architectural exploration towards more sustainable solutions. From the high winds and heavy rains, to the coastal erosion threatening communities along its shores, Scotland presents a dynamic environment for design innovation. Scotland also has committed to be net zero by 2045, prompting a much needed green transition.

Aiming to engage with many of Scotland's environmental challenges through architectural exercises, twenty-eight students travelled across the country, with a special focus on Aberdeen, during the fall of 2024. Their mission was to test their own constructions and prototypes while collaborating with local communities, Robert Gordon University, and other organizations, during a month-long fieldwork project.

From Aberdeen's coastal landscapes to the Highlands' rugged terrain, students collaborated with local communities, scientists, research centers, and universities to explore and test the performance of their inventive solutions to tackle urban flooding, identity sustainable building materials, and address the impact of climate change and renewable energy dependency. Among many other experiments, students systematically measured performance, monitored results, and wrote scientific papers to study the potential of their hypotheses while engaging with local expertise and examining the role of technology in shaping society. This was all part of a process of site-specific design in regions experiencing environmental and societal shifts.

These field studies represent the first-semester work—a step towards proposing a critical and alternative approach to building design, which will be further developed during the second semester.