Christy Elspeth Allen
Duddingston School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Analytique drawing of the Boat Shelter developed in the initial 'A Useful Folly' project
1:500 Group site model (From left to right: Olivia Baylis, Mari Helland, Christy Allen)
The School
This project manifests the relationship between the people and the landscape through an informed, sensitive and spirited architectural response which strengthens nature and the community. The school sits within the Bawsinch Wildlife Reserve which lies immediately to the south of the Duddingston Loch and offers courses centred around forestry, wildlife ecology and conservation.
Furthermore, the school offers a programme of public spaces which encourages the development of the Duddingston community. The brick wall creates an architectural language which defines the separation between the public programme and the educational programme. The wall is taken for a walk through the site; retaining as it pushes through water, insulating as it moves through buildings and at special moments its depth reduces to create small seating nooks for people to sit and enjoy the natural surroundings. The educational buildings surround the central courtyard and are differentiated from the public buildings by their timber cladding and planted roofs.
There are many moments throughout the design where the wildlife reserve is celebrated. The buildings nestle into the surrounding woodland on the south and west sides allowing dappled light to filter through the glazing of the library and classrooms. By the creation of outdoor rooms, greater connectivity has been achieved between the core wilderness areas, creating a direct relationship between woodland, water and wetland.
The school is part of the wider campus of the School of Rural Studies which is made up of the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, the School of Surveying (Mari Helland) and the School of Slow Farming (Olivia Baylis). The collection of buildings connect through a route which aspires to rewild Duddingston both physically and intellectually. The follies designed in the initial ‘A Useful Folly’ project have been incorporated into the route to enrich the communities experience as they mediate through the landscape. The integration of new habitats supports biodiversity and engages the wider community.
Ground Floor Plan
Technical section through the timber yard and gallery
Technical section through the tower and the community hall
Technical section through the timber yard and the educational programme
Structural Axonometric
Render of the entrance to the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
1:200 Model of the Duddingston School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
Christy Elspeth Allen
Duddingston School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences
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