As part of my third year studies, I was asked to design a small student library for the University of St Andrews with an integrated specialised mapping section.  The library was to be set within the historic context of St Salvator’s Courtyard, alongside a student accommodation complex in the northern part of the site.  Throughout the design process, I consistently explored the relationship that exists between a contemporary building and its context and attempted to counterbalance the very traditional setting of St Salvator’s with a scheme that was unapologetically acontextual.  The design maintains a ‘healthy disrespect’ for its surroundings, allowing the spaces to be appreciated and celebrated in their own right rather than as a small part of a much larger and arguably more impressive urban environment.