Students as explorers - cooperation with EMESS (East Midlands Earth Structure Society) 2011-2014 [action research contribution]

Visions for Architectural Education – Unpublished voice in internal departmental discussion about forms of education [Action Research Contribution] This adventure started when dr. Marcin M. Kołakowski, who is researching natural and alternative architecture, decided to attend a meeting organised by a local group of practitioners and enthusiasts of local architecture called EMESS (East Midland Earth Structure Society). 'Strike while the iron is hot!' said Chairman David Glew and already at that meeting they started to sketch plans for cooperation and for future practical workshops for students. It was 3 years ago and since then students of architecture had a chance to participate in three workshops, each of them with a different character. During the first one in 2012, students had an opportunity to meet Prof Louis Nelson from the University of Virginia and listen to his talk about the application of Lincolnshire methods in America. In 2013, students got involved in a real renovation project. That year, students had a chance to participate in intensive workshops at Tumby Moorside Barn, where five specialists introduced students to key aspects of building conservation. Despite being a listed building, the barn uniquely received a permission to hold workshops there. It does not happen often that a listed building can be experimented on, but thanks to this arrangement our students got a real insight into traditional details, which they could touch and repair