Make Do
Concept Collage
A new residential retreat and performance hall for Sistema Scotland in Balloch, which celebrates gathering and ‘making do’ with what we already have.
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This project grew from Abby’s own experience of orchestra residential stays as a young person. Her memory recalls a positive, organic experience- which grew from the gathering of people, the making of music. No matter the context- the people made it special.
Sistema Scotland emmulate her experience with their work, transforming lives through musical education whilst ‘making do’ within the constraints of their provided built environment. The proposal is a direct response to the culture of Sistema- by facilitating gathering on a human scale. Ownership and agency over space are central to the idea, allowing young people to feel a sense of belonging within the public and private realm.
To “make do” assumes to settle for lesser. But with the climate emergency as our reality, we must use what we already have to our advantage. The proposal responds to this notion through its adaptive reuse of materials, and by utilising the natural environment to generate energy. The collage of built forms respond to the existing landscape on the edge of the River Leven, an assemblage of buildings, for the assembly of people.