Architectural Technology students to design plans for tartan weaving mill
ARCHITECTURAL technology students at Inverness College, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, will design plans for a mill to bring tartan weaving back to its home in the Highlands.
Clare Campbell, founder of tartan design studio Prickly Thistle, launched a six-figure crowdfunding campaign in October to Build the Mill in a disused farm steading on the Black Isle.
The bespoke designer is aiming to raise £500,000 to convert the steading and bring tartan-weaving back to its traditional Highland home.
Final year students on the University’s BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology course have been given a brief by Clare to design the plans to convert the steading into a mill which celebrates her vision and the heritage of the Highlands.
The 20 students have been split into four ‘clans’ and each will create designs and plans ready for Highland Council planning and building warrant approval. The students will visit the site, develop concepts and meet Clare and her client team over the next eight weeks before she chooses her preferred design, which will be submitted for full planning permission.
Architectural Technology programme leader Ross Cairns said: “We pride ourselves on the employability of our graduates and it is ‘live’ projects like this that really give our students the edge when it comes to getting a job. Every year we work on real-life projects with employers but this one is particularly exciting to be involved in because of the impact it will have on the future of the region’s textile industry. It’s a fantastic opportunity for our students to design something which will create a legacy and to work on a project which is comparable to the kind of thing they will do when they leave Inverness College UHI. They will make key contacts and we hope it will pave the way for further collaborative projects between Prickly Thistle and Inverness College UHI.”
Previous ‘live’ projects students have worked on include a Homes for Heroes development in Inverness, a new shelter and experience centre for Loch Ness by Jacobite at Brackla, a control building for the West Link road project and a commercial building to revitalise Inverness Marina.
Clare Campbell, founder of Prickly Thistle, said: “Since Prickly Thistle started trading just two years ago, I have enjoyed working with the University of the Highlands and Islands on a number of projects. To blend business practices with theory was invaluable to me when I was a student and I am delighted to give Inverness College UHI architectural technology students the chance to help with building the only tartan weaving mill in the Highlands. I cannot wait to see the final proposals that the students design for our company and of course, I hope to offer talented graduates of all disciplines exciting new jobs in the future".
Clare filmed part of her crowd-funding promotional campaign video at Inverness College UHI and Inverness Campus to demonstrate her passion for working with the future generations. This video has been viewed globally with the campaign media reach now in excess of one million viewers.