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RGU student wins public vote for Aberdeenshire function suite

March 13 2017

RGU student wins public vote for Aberdeenshire function suite
A Robert Gordon University architecture student has emerged victorious in a public competition to design a wedding and corporate venue at Elsick House, Aberdeeenshire.

Year two architecture student Magdalena Wloczka, currently participating in an Erasmus exchange in Amsterdam, have produced plans for a 200-capacity ballroom within an existing walled garden, complementing ongoing expansion on surrounding agricultural land to make way for Chapelton new town.

The Duchess of Fife is in the early stages of the ballroom plans and hope to incorporate elements of Wloczka’s design into this evolving plan.

In a statement the Duchess said: “hey have brought forward many brilliant elements that we will incorporate into our new garden ballroom that we are creating at Elsick.”

Close to 700 votes were cast during a public exhibition of competing plans for the ballroom in the Bon Accord Centre last week.
Elsick House is the centrepiece of the Aberdeenshire estate
Elsick House is the centrepiece of the Aberdeenshire estate
The winning scheme will inform future development of Elsick House
The winning scheme will inform future development of Elsick House

9 Comments

Bill S
#1 Posted by Bill S on 13 Mar 2017 at 13:14 PM
I love that first image - very evocative. Can't say I know too much about Elsick House but I would be enticed to view the ballroom if such a venue was proposed. Well done all involved.
Mikki Ristola
#2 Posted by Mikki Ristola on 13 Mar 2017 at 13:17 PM
Erm, the roof structure has more than a passing resemblance to the Award Winning 'Mikki Ristola Visitor Centre for Petäjävesi Old Church'.
Just saying...#copycat
Anon.
#3 Posted by Anon. on 13 Mar 2017 at 13:39 PM
#2 nothing in Architecture is truely 'original'
Jonathan
#4 Posted by Jonathan on 13 Mar 2017 at 18:15 PM
Considering this is a proposal from a second year architecture student, a very well deserved win for a nicely considered design. Congratulations, a promising career ahead I think!
Zumthor ate my hamster
#5 Posted by Zumthor ate my hamster on 13 Mar 2017 at 20:39 PM
The scheme based on the images provided looks like an interesting space.

However if this is for a real-life project is this an attempt to pursue a much cheaper solution than hiring a professional firm to carry out these services? If so then thank you RGU for taking work from the mouth of some architectural practice.

Should universities be able to offer up the services of unqualified students for free when the project demands professional services (I hope we don't now get the claptrap that a firm will now be appointed to work with the winning student to deliver the scheme)?

Students gaining experience of real-world style projects is great for education, but only if this kind of work merely goes forward to form part of a future briefing stage.
KW
#6 Posted by KW on 14 Mar 2017 at 09:57 AM
#2 - Which, in turn, has a passing resemblance to Alfriston School Swimming Pool, a real life building by Duggan Morris.

They're in second year, calm down a wee bit!
CADMonkey
#7 Posted by CADMonkey on 14 Mar 2017 at 11:56 AM
In accordance with EU Procurement Rules should the brief not have required all entrants to be insured and capable of following through with the delivery of the project?
However I expect that a firm will now be appointed to work with the winning student to deliver the scheme.
Was there a prize?
architroll
#8 Posted by architroll on 14 Mar 2017 at 16:14 PM
From a bit of googling, it seems that this wasn't a 'public competition' but a design brief set to students in second year at RGU.

The Duchess will be pleased to have avoided the bureaucracy and expense of running a competition that financially rewards architects for their time and effort. Perhaps being sued by Duggan Morris for copyright might not be so easy...

It's a shame she didn't simply commission one of the many talented young Scottish practices that would jump at the chance to work on a project like this.
Bigdeal
#9 Posted by Bigdeal on 14 Mar 2017 at 22:28 PM
Good luck to Magdalena.
Points above acknowledged, but right given the dreadful state of whats on offer on the UR home page, truly appalling, I am amazed this has had so much (negative) interest.

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