AN ARCHITECTURE student who helped to design and build a hydro power plant in Malaysia last year is again getting ready to bid farewell to Scotland.

Rory Dickens ventured to the part of the South East Asian nation located on the island of Borneo as part of an internship project last year.

The 23-year-old signed up to the first project last summer, run by Malaysian-based company Arkitrek and specialising in design and build camps for architecture students, after being inspired to learn more about sustainability within the discipline.

The former North Berwick High School pupil was sent to the north east of Borneo with a group of fellow interns, where they were given the task of designing and building a micro hydro power plant for a biological research camp next to a rainforest over the course of two months.

Rory, who is in the fifth year of his studies, wasn’t fazed by the basic conditions of the camp.

He told the Courier: “It was a really brilliant experience.

“I got to see a different way of life and I’m proud to have played a part in the project.” The building was made with sustainability and conservation in mind, with the group using waste materials, as well as incorporating many other sustainable and new ideas into the build process.

Sustainability was an issue which initially came to the fore for Rory, after he experienced the effects toxic materials can have when cleaning out an attic of its fibre glass insulation.

He said: “I had to wear goggles, a dust mask and special clothes and I still itched for days.

“I remember thinking: ‘Is this really the best material for the job if it’s so toxic?’” This prompted Rory to research the subject in more depth and sustainability is now at the heart of all his designs.

Since returning to university, he has been asked by Arkitrek to lead a project in Borneo this summer, as well as helping Arkitrek get a foothold in the UK.

The project in Borneo involves the team working with a rural community to design and complete a practical and sustainable building that residents have been trying to achieve for the past two years.

Rory, of the town’s Lime Grove, said: “I’m really pleased that I’ll be rejoining Arkitrek for the summer and this time I’ll be heading up the project, which is something I’m really excited about.

“I have also been tasked with setting up a presence for Arkitrek in the UK, which is a huge responsibility, but again something I’m really excited about.

“I’m working alongside an experienced architect to look for community-based organisations that are in need of professional design services with a view to working with them to create an Arkitrek camp in Scotland.” Closer to home, the former Campie Primary School pupil also has architectural experience, having worked with Architecture JF Ltd in Gullane.

He added: “During the nine months I worked there, I helped design buildings for various local clients, along with dealing with building warrants and planning applications, but I also had the chance to get out of the office and on site, which really showed me the ropes of working in and running an architectural practice.”