RGU graduates showcase new urban village at RSA Exhibition

The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture graduates are part of the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture (ASA) New Contemporaries 2023 exhibition, which runs in Edinburgh until 16 April, and showcases emerging talent in Scotland from the 2021-degree presentations.

The exhibition which is now in its fourteenth year, features an array of painting, sculpture, filmmaking, photography, printmaking, installation and performance and architecture.

The Scott Sutherland graduates selected include Tim Lahaise from North Berwick, David Reid from Rutherglen and Chow Ying Choi Angus, who is of Chinese HKSAR nationality from Kowloon, Hong Kong. The graduates carried out a two-year project in 2021, to explore issues concerning urban living and new ideas for the future City of Aberdeen.    

The graduates propose creating a new village in Aberdeen between the harbour and the esplanade, in the area between Castlegate and Footdee, that would be named after the 15th century church of St.Clements, which was originally built to serve the small fishing community of Footdee.

The project builds on previous proposals from students at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture to transform the beachfront in Aberdeen and to open the harbour front to people coming from the city centre.

One of the graduates selected, Tim Lahaise, who is now working as a Part 2 Architectural Assistant at Morgan Architects in Edinburgh, highlights what a privilege it is to be showcasing his work. He said: “It might sound like a cliché, but it really does feel like a great honour to have our work showcased alongside all of the other amazing artists and architects at the show. The RSA has put on a great show this year which highlights work carried out during the pandemic so it's really interesting to see how that has influenced and affected the work of some of the different artists and architects.

“Our goal was to rethink how our cities should be designed in the aftermath of Covid by putting people at the heart of our design; creating an urban village prototype that focuses on walkable, sustainable, engaging public spaces that puts pedestrians first.

"The project combines influences from Scotland’s coastal villages with Nordic design and urban planning principles to embrace Aberdeen’s harsher climate and create more inviting and atmospheric public spaces, encouraging active travel. We’re all beyond proud to have our St. Clements Quarter project recognised at this renowned exhibition in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre.

"We owe a lot of thanks to our Studio Unit tutors from the Scott Sutherland School including Neil Lamb, Bill Black and David Villa Domini. They helped us find our direction with the project and encouraged us to explore the themes of our research while trying to coordinate over Hong Kong-Scotland time zones, since we were all working under lockdown at the time. The same extends to the Scott Sutherland School in general as well which has always rewarded finding creative solutions to problems and approaching design briefs with a social conscience, which was a huge part of this project."

Course leader, David Vila Domini said: “It’s a great accolade for the students and their work to be part of the RSA exhibition and a huge endorsement for the professionalism of students at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment and their ability to design socially responsible, well-considered spaces.

“Their designs centre around a sustainable, walkable 15-minute neighbourhood called St.Clements Quarter that would transform a brownfield, docklands site in Aberdeen. Village life would be re-established in the heart of the city and a new place created for all demographics; old and young, rich and poor to live in a new settlement that encourages citizenship and a real sense of community. The majority of things needed for daily living, including housing, work, shops, medical support and schools are all integrated as part of that community and would be available within 15 minutes of walking. The urban village would help Aberdeen take a lead role in creating a sustainable future, centred around a shared community heating system and renewable energy.”

Since graduating, all three graduates are working towards their Part 3 accreditation at architecture practices Edinburgh,  London, and Hong Kong. David Reid works at Glenn Howells Architects, known for designing high rise residential buildings with a focus on quality internal spaces, sustainability and community building. Chow Ying Choi Angus works at DLN Architects, looking at urban design, town planning and life between buildings. Tim Lahaise works at Morgan Architects, who specialise in heritage and listed building renovation and retrofit throughout Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a focus on creating quality and atmospheric spaces respectful of heritage materials and textures.

Find out more about the RSA exhibition:

Image shows graduate, Tim Lahaise, at the RSA New Contemporaries 2023 exhibition.