8 December 2009

A phenomenon of the season - 'sitooteries' appear at Dundee again

A number of changes to the environment at the University of Dundee take place each winter. The nights draw in, trees lose their leaves, frost forms on the ground, and a number of unusual objects called 'sitooteries' appear on campus.

These strange structures are the result of an annual competition challenging Year 2 Architecture students to design and build timber shelters that are aesthetically pleasing, functional and sufficiently inviting that staff, students and visitors will use them to sit outside under shelter and enjoy the view, relax, read or chat.

All students submit a design proposal and the best three are chosen for the entire class to develop after organising themselves into teams. In addition to planning, each team of students must find adequate sponsorship, source materials, build the design at full scale, and produce accompanying booklets and videos illustrating the process. The sitooteries are now complete and situated on campus.

This is the fifth year in which a similar form of the project has been running in the School of Architecture. It asks the students to consider their conceptual ideas in conjunction with the practicalities of building the structure, and to work to a budget, as they would have to do if they were working in practice.

'The interesting thing about this project is that it gives students the chance to take a project from the blank page to the point where they build the structure on site and can then study how the materials weather over time. In addition, they are developing practical, marketing, business, and advertising skills.'

'The sitooteries offer a different experience on campus,' said Year 2 Course Leader Carol Robertson. “They provide something different from benches, are more tailored to promote conversation, and with a sheltered area for people to sit in.

'They are going out to meet people and ask for sponsorship. They get people’s opinions and have to consider not only the idea but how it can be built to budget. It’s really a distilled version of what happens in practice.'

'Architects have to consider the impact they have on other people’s environments and appreciate how a project will affect them. It will allow the students to better understand the relationship between ideas, design and construction, as well as helping to develop their creativity and practical skills.'

Carol added that, with the project’s impact on the environment a consideration, some students have proved adept at seeking out materials to re-use rather than parting with hard cash for new ones.

One sitooterie team, Stak’d, whose materials largely consisted of donated pallets previously used in the distribution industry, used the project as an opportunity to raise money for the charity Article 25, which promotes the use of innovative thinking in architecture to provide shelter and education in developing countries.

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