Drawing Time . . . 100 years of The Sligo Sudbury School

This drawing not only depicts an architectural proposal for the Sligo Sudbury School, but projects 100 years into the building, landscape, and community's future. For quality control, health and safety, and not least environmental sustainability, it has become regulatory for buildings to last at least 60 years, and desirable for them to survive (much) longer. However, the reality of what this might look like is rarely depicted, with required ­maintenance etc. often glossed over at design stage and not implemented fully or as specified once built.

The Sligo Sudbury School, founded in 2017, provides an alternative model of education; a democratically organised community where children from ages 5 to 18 direct their own learning, unconstrained by rigid timetables, set curricula or designated spaces. However, there is a system in place to preserve its democratic principles; a daily  'Morning Circle' gathering provides a platform for announcements, proposals, and discussion. A 'Meeting' is held weekly for further debates, with every vote valued equally. Lastly, a bell is rung daily to signal a half hour session of maintenance which everyone, children and staff alike, are required to partake in.

Herein lies the foundation of a 'Culture of Care,' which this architectural proposal relies upon. Consider the Sligo Sudbury School as a 'time-rich' community; while they may not have high cash-flow, they do have an engaged, inventive and generously spirited wider community supporting it. Already, parents have been involved in the construction of a simple, OSB constructed 'art room,' and one of the pupils has designed and constructed a tree house from found timber material, access to the workshop and tools is, as with everything, available to all.

Acknowledging the community's 'Time as Resource,' this proposal opts for entirely timber construction, due to its sustainability, ease of workmanship, and rapid assembly. The erection of the proposed structures is phased, in continuity with their iterative expansion thus far, and on a practical level to ensure maintenance and repair of the structures is also staggered. The singular narrative illustrated envisions the utmost care and preventative maintenance will be undertaken by the community, and therefore the timelines for necessary repair and replacement are predicted at their middle to upper limit of expected material lifespan.

The first phase of the proposal utilises lumber from existing trees on the site, which require culling regardless, to construct the extension. It also establishes a Continuous Cover Forest of native Irish Species in the surrounding site's landscape, which in later years is selectively harvested to provide lumber when elements of the proposed structure require replacement.

As a world population we are just beginning to recognise our ‘Resource Poverty.’ This research suggests that one way of combatting this is to recognise the richness and potential of harnessing time in our environment.

This drawing collapses time by condensing 100 years of activity into a single image.

View the accompanying film to witness the chronological development of the proposal and its layers of activity.