Architectural technology students from Inverness are helping to regenerate the city as part of their final year project.
Students at Inverness College UHI have been challenged to redesign and transform the Upper Bridge Street buildings – dating back to the 1960’s – to breathe new life into the area.
Through the development of their ideas, students will carry out research before presenting their initial ideas as part of an exhibition at the Eastgate shopping centre on Tuesday, seeking feedback from members of the public.
Ross Cairns, programme leader on the university’s BSc (Hons) architectural technology course, said: “This is a fantastic project for our final year students to get their teeth into.
“Not only is it a challenging site in terms of its relationship with the surrounding area, it’s also a key site for Highland Council as it looks to develop this area in the future.
“Our whole degree is focused on ‘live’ projects, which leads to fantastic engagement from the students but also the development of core skills and insight, which really gives our students the edge when it comes to finishing their studies and finding a job.
“Indeed, it is through a lot of these ‘live’ projects that students have come into contact with industry professionals and found employment.”
The site was purchased by The Highland Council in July in support of the development of Inverness Castle into a gateway attraction for tourists as well as the regeneration of the city centre.
The Inverness Castle project forms part of the Inverness and Highland City-Region deal which is a joint initiative supported by up to £315m investment from the UK and Scottish governments, Highland Council, HIE and the University of the Highlands and Islands, aimed at stimulating sustainable regional economic growth.
