“ONE PLANET: OUR SCHOOL”

The 2009 Yearbook and Summer Exhibition entitled One Planet: Our School celebrates the cultural diversity within our school and signals our commitment to one planet living. It also celebrates amongst our international alumni the presence of the School of the Built Environment around the planet. The planet has many unique places, and this is one of them...

Our school is a microcosm of a greater planet, and we believe that by experiencing the real dimension, diversity and most importantly the fragile condition of that wider horizon, we will better our understanding and nurture professionals equipped to tackle the demands of a challenging millennium. Humankind has only one planet and stewardship of human and natural resources is of vital importance. It is the aspiration of the School of the Built Environment not only to inform the practice of future architects and engineers but also to run the school with a one planet carbon footprint.

It’s our privilege that each year students from every corner of the planet generously share their cultural heritage and experiences with us. In return they’ve been spreading our school’s commitment to preserve and enhance the places we live in.

This book celebrates the hardwork of those students and the resultant cultural richness of the school, at the centre of which stands a dynamic studio culture. It also describes key initiatives and projects that have taken place this year when the school is contributing locally, nationally and globally to the creation of high quality architecture and a sustainable built environment. This contribution can be practical, philosophical or by design and invention.

The cover illustration has been produced by Kinny Soni, student on the MArch in Design course, as part of her research on means of universal expression and communication of architectural experiences.

In her own words:

“This story is my expression of my experiences within the University of Nottingham, without words, in a common universal language. The story begins with an empty green courtyard surrounded by the old and new buildings
along with a beautiful pink tree. Walking through the gallery seeing glimpses of presentations, I emerge from the old building and see green hills and the Eco House standing still whilst the sun plays with the clouds. Moving down towards the row of cars takes me to my work place where this vintage car makes me curious as to whom it belongs! It meets me every day when I am walking through the dark forest towards the outside world, while the school grows with me, reaching all over the planet from that green and silent courtyard in Nottingham”