Jenna McMahon

This School of Rural Studies specialises in issues of organic farming and sustainable food production. Designed to work in harmony with the conditions of the North, this school will make use of brick and timber; materials of the earth, in order to blur lines of the inside and out, and the permanent and temporary.

The historic Duddingston Village, the site of the School, has a strong community presence which is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of surrounding land and architecture. The Community Land and the Field are run by local volunteers. These spaces are home to both and orchard and vegetable garden, growing organic produce which is dispersed throughout the local community seasonally. The School should build upon these community pursuits, remaining considerate to the character of Duddingston Village throughout all stages of the proposal.

The result is The Duddingston School of Community Agriculture- dedicated to the creation, sustenance and success of local community agricultural projects. Its architectural language is that of plinth and frame, rooting the project into the ground from which it has grown. This embedded approach aims to bind the School into the Community, so that the two may become entirely intertwined. This School, through an exploration into elements, assembly, tectonics and place, intends to embody this community ethos, acting as a prototype to what it may inspire in the future.