Amilia Wark & Conlan Baillie : S1 Hutting Models

As part of the ongoing Brickfields Project students from Sanquhar Academy have been designing huts. Amilia Wark and Conlan Baillie introduce the work of the students in S1.

‘Hutting’ is a policy from the Scottish Government to permit simple light-touch off grid buildings for recreational and educational purposes.

‘Huts’ don’t need to resemble huts and the skills acquired in building simple buildings provide an invaluable educational opportunity. With the support and commitment of Scott Kilpatrick and his brothers, the owners of the former quarries, to facilitate lease or purchase of the site, MERZ has been assisted by Koehler Renewable Energy to employ an archeologist, architect and a team of environmental botanists to devise sustainable educational and creative use for the site. Working with local manufacturers Shaw Tile Services the year-long project has established how local waste materials can be used in construction and insulation while the quarry site itself can be improved for walking, rewilding, recreational and educational projects, including establishing the local Paver Pottery.

A realistic market offer has been made for the brownfield site. With their economic advisers the team at MERZ are looking forward to a positive outcome with work to begin in the New Year.

Meanwhile architect Adrian McNaught, artist David Rushton and craftsman Craig Dawe together have been working alongside S1 at Sanquhar Academy to build an exhibition on the many opportunities arising from ‘hutting’ to go on show over the Christmas week.

The S1 students’ designs incorporate some of the difficult to recycle materials from Shaw Tile Services.

‘Building the Future’ will be at MERZ, Queens Road, Sanquhar DG4 6DH from 12:00-4:00pm on 28th and 29th December.

It is hoped the exhibition will tour Scotland to help encourage local engagement with hutting not least recycling waste materials for building on overlooked brownfield sites.