Past Education Projects
Trainee Architects CPD Workshop
Northern Architecture, Newcastle upon Tyne
Wednesday 21 April, 2010
On Wednesday 21 April Northern Architecture worked with six prospective volunteers on a CPD workshop for architecture students.The CPD is an opportunity for trainee architects to develop new and transferable skills, to enable them to work with, inspire and be inspired by young people across the North East.
Building Schools for the Future Education Project - Evaluation Report
Ian Ramsey School, Stockton
April 2010
Over six weeks, between September and November 2009, Northern Architecture worked with Ian Ramsey School, Stockton, on an innovative education project as part of the school’s ambitious plans for a new building.
Funded by Creative Partnerships, the creatively driven participation project was designed to engage the school’s Year 8 pupils in the design process through English, Maths and ICT.
The evaluation report says that the ambitious and groundbreaking six-week long project involving 230 pupils and 20 teachers was a very positive learning experience of each child. However, as the projected became more focused on the actual design of the school building, working with smaller groups over a longer period of time was the most productive method of working. Recommendations included consistent involvement on teachers throughout the project and clearer involvement of Local Authority BSF teams.
A second phase of the project is currently being planned with the inclusion of pupil peer-led projects run independently of external practitioners that can ensure longer term learning opportunities for pupils.
Read the full report by downloading the pdf below.
Adobe Acrobat PDF | 3 MB
Changing Spaces
A Creative Partnerships project with Glebe School
Autumn & Spring Term
From November 2009 to December 2010 Northern Architecture, commissioned by Creative Partnerships, successfully co-delivered the Changing Spaces project at Glebe Community School in Whitley Bay.
The school provides education for primary age range children with Moderate Learning Difficulties and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The school will be relocated to the site of Longbenton Community College during Spring 2010.
Changing Spaces was designed to assist in the transition to the new inclusive Benton Dene School
With the aim of using indoor and outdoor environments to inspire learning, Northern Architecture’s education Officers worked alongside pupils and teachers from three classes.
The project culminated in an open exhibition at Glebe school, on 24th February, to showcase and celebrate the experiences and achievements of pupils and staff.
Big Draw 2009 Family Learning workshops
Hartlepool and Cramlington
Wednesday 28th & Thursday 29th October 2009
Northern Architecture are running two Family Learning workshops during The Big Draw this October half term.
Hartlepool, Wednesday 28th October 10am - 12pm or 1pm - 3pm, Stranton Learning Centre, Hartlepool
Cramlington, Thursday 29 October 10am - 3pm, Cramlington Learning Village, Northumberland
To book your free place or for further information contact Sara Cooper, Northern Architecture: 0191 260 2191
or for Cramlington Learning Village call Jill Milburn : 07966123030
or for Stranton Learning Centre, Hartlepool call Jeanne Iveson: 01429 868616
Bring your family along to one of the workshops, and you can join us in having fun trying out new drawing skills, explore buildings of all shapes and sizes and help to create a giant wall drawing!
The workshops, which also coincide with the national Family Learning Festival, are free-of-charge and open to all.
Children can not be left unsupervised.
We gratefully acknowledge the supported of the Sir James Knott Trust.
With support from Hartlepool Borough Council, Hartlepool Adult Learning, Cramlington Extended Services and our core funders CABE and Arts Council England.
Building Schools for the Future Education Project
Stockton-on-Tees
September 2009 - ongoing
Ian Ramsey School
Building Schools for the Future Education Project
Northern Architecture will launch an innovative BSF education project run in partnership with Ian Ramsey School and funded by Creative Partnerships on Monday 28th September.
Teacher's CPD - Architectural Model Making
Walbottle Campus, Hexham Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 9TP
Friday 12 June
On Friday 12 June 2009, teachers from five regional schools took part in a hands-on model-making workshop delivered by Northern Architecture at Walbottle Campus, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Key stage 2,3 and 4 teachers worked with a professional model-maker, technician and one of Northern Architecture’s Education Officers on practical activities to take back to the classroom.
Adobe Acrobat PDF | 160 KB
Northern Architecture's Education Workshop Programme 2008/9 now available
North East region
2008-2009
'Each workshop, at every level, encourages and supports pupils in understanding and exploring their built environment and challenges them to think about the places in which they live now...'
Adobe Acrobat PDF | 4 MB
Volunteering with the Education Programme
Hosted by Eversheds, Central Square South, Newcastle upon Tyne
Friday 27 March, 2009
Excellent CPD Opportunities for Young Architects / AssistantsAt Northern Architecture we firmly believe that encouraging children and young people to look, question and think creatively about their built environment has valuable educational benefits. Our latest programme of workshops encourages and supports pupils to understand, explore and design buildings and places, alongside creative practitioners such as architects, writers and artists.
Working in schools is a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience that can help to develop new and transferable skills to inform your professional practice.
The Education Programme is an opportunity for architects and trainee architects to do just that: work with, inspire and be inspired by young people across the North East.
ArchiTEXTURE Family Learning Workshops
Regional venues
October 2008
A series of architecture-inspired workshops held across the region were a huge success during The Big Draw in October, 2008.ArchiTEXTURE encouraged families to explore their local surroundings and create imaginary townscapes using their drawings.
DOOR TO DOOR POSTCARD PROJECT, Family Learning
Newcastle and Gateshead
June 2008
The Door to Door postcard competition was launched in June to coincide with the North East Festival of Architecture 2008.
Summer Activities - Map Reading
Northumberland Libraries
August 2008
During August 2008 Northumberland Libraries hosted a series of map reading and making activities led by Northern Architecture as part of their developing Family Learning programme.The six workshops were designed to enable families in rural and urban environments to explore, describe and document their built environment in creative ways. It was also an opportunity to promote and extend reading experiences and awareness of visual language.
Teachers' CPD
Inside: Out
8th July 2008
On Tuesday 8th July 2008, thirteen KS2 teachers gathered at Peases West School, County Durham, for a hands-on CPD event examining the opportunities for teaching and learning through interacting with and redesigning the outdoor spaces in school. Teachers worked with a landscape architect, a sculptor and one of Northern Architecture’s Education Officers on a variety of activities they could take back to the outdoor classroom. The PDF report below summarises the activities that teachers participated in and details their responses to the questions and activities that were set.Adobe Acrobat PDF | 187 KB
A School for the Future
A Creative Partnerships Project for Harton Technology College
December 2007 – February 2008
As part of a Creative Partnerships project, Northern Architecture has been helping pupils at Harton Technology College to develop ideas for the refurbishment of their school. Through the Building Schools for the Future programme, Harton Technology College will soon be working up plans to improve their school in order to better support the needs of pupils, teachers and the wider community.To get things started, and to help pupils have their say, Northern Architecture developed a simple challenge that inspired pupils to think creatively about what they and others might needed from their school in the future. They were asked to consider, not only how their new building might look, but also how it will function to match the needs of everyone who will use it.
Teacher CPD: Exploring Architecture
Dance City, Newcastle
September 2007
Northern Architecture recently held a CPD session for teachers aimed at encouraging the development of architecture-based activities in North East schools. The session, which was held at Dance City, introduced teachers from Key Stages 1 – 4 to the many facets of architecture and began to suggest how the built environment could support and enhance their pupils’ learning.
The day began with an inspiring presentation by Tim Bailey of Xsite Architecture, which examined how architecture has developed over time and how it might continue to change to meet our future needs and aspirations. Following that, a series of case studies demonstrated how buildings and spaces had already begun to inspire many creative and education professionals, and practical workshops allowed teachers to try out some new techniques.Adobe Acrobat PDF | 44 KB
Adobe Acrobat PDF | 50 KB
Adobe Acrobat PDF | 133 KB
Adobe Acrobat PDF | 50 KB
The Big Draw 2007
Family Workshops
October 2007
A series of architecture-inspired workshops held across the region were a huge success during The Big Draw 2007. Organised in partnership with libraries in Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside and the Wear Valley, and developed and delivered by trainee architects Leon Rodway and Sophie Benton, the workshops introduced families to new drawing techniques and asked them to put their skills into practice by recording buildings and places, past, present and even future.Many families found that they were drawing places they had never seen before, using local history photographs to help them. Whilst others went out into the street to take a closer look at the places they would usually take for granted. The work participants produced was amazing, and to celebrate their achievements, displays and books showcasing their work will go on display at each of the libraries from November.
At Bishop Auckland Library, artist Elaine Kenyon created a special ‘Architecture A – Z’ to support families and help them look more closely at what they were drawing. She has kindly allowed us to put this on our website for you to download.
Adobe Acrobat PDF | 311 KB
Architecture Week Family Fun
June 2007
During Architecture Week 2007, four museums across the North East delivered drop-in workshops for families. With support from the North East Regional Museums Hub, Northern Architecture was able to offer museums support in developing their workshops, through the purchase of materials and the help of architecture students from Newcastle University.
The events were well attended and formed an important family friendly element of the North East’s Architecture Week celebrations. Families participated in: a Bird Box Design Challenge at the Shipley Museum, Gateshead; a design event based on a proposed new maritime building at Kirkleatham Museum, Redcar; a bridge design and construction workshop at Locomotion, Shildon; and a 3D mapping game of the region and beyond at Mima, Middlesbrough.
Space Explorers
Exploring Architecture Through the Arts
January - July 2008
Between January and July 2008, Northern Architecture worked with North East schools on the Space Explorers Programme. Funded by CABE, ACE and The Ernest Cook Trust, the programme enabled pupils from these schools to work with architects and artists to explore their local built environment through the arts. From painting to poetry, ceramics to woodcarving, pupils responded to architecture through many art forms. They discussed the impact the built environment has on themselves and others and many designed improvements they would make to the areas they visited and explored.
Throughout the course of the project, Northern Architecture worked with:
• 17 schools
• 20 teachers
• 373 pupils
• 10 artists
• 17 architects and architectural assistants
A full copy of the evaluation report for this project, outlining the nature of the projects and detailing the feedback we received from teachers and pupils, can be downloaded below.
To see images of the work we produced with some of the schools, visit our flickr page.
Also go to Google Maps to see a poem by pupils at West Walker Primary School (type in 'wesley bingo' and make sure to look for 'user-created content' in search options).
Funded by: CABE, ACE, Ernest Cook Trust
Supported by: Ainsworth Spark Associates, Assael Architecture, Eversheds, Creating_Space, FaulknerBrowns, Halsall Llloyd Partnership, IDP-Northern, Jesmond Group Chartered Architects, Mackellar Architecture Ltd, Mosedale Gillatt Architects, Nicholson Nairn Architects, Ryder, SMC Parr Architects, Walker Simpson Architects, Xsite Architecture
Adobe Acrobat PDF | 1 MB
Adobe Acrobat PDF | 32 KB
The A Factor: Think Bubbles
Key Stage 2
January - June 2007
The A Factor programme gave three schools the opportunity to work with architectural assistants from regional and national architect practices. Participants developed designs for a new 'Think Bubble' for their school grounds - a space in which to play or learn in ways not possible within an ordinary classroom environment.
Pupils from Atkinson Road Primary School, Kepier Chare Primary School and Whickham Parochial CE Primary School learned all about regional and national contemporary architecture, played games to test their architectural knowledge, worked in teams to design new learning spaces for the future and made models of their favourite designs.
How Places Work
Key Stage 3
January - December 2007
How Places Work is a programme of visits to buildings and spaces, funded by CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) and delivered by ABECs (Architecture and Built Environment Centres) nationwide. It provides teachers and pupils with the opportunity to visit new buildings or spaces. During a visit, pupils are encouraged to learn for themselves, through exploring, recording and instigating the space. They also have the chance to learn from and share understanding with an ‘inspirer’, someone who knows that place very well, either as an architect/designer or user. After their visit, schools then have the option to develop follow up work in the classroom.
Through this scheme Northern Architecture has had the opportunity to develop programmes with Bedlingtonshire Community High School, Thornaby Community School and Walbottle Campus Technology College.
Bedlington Station Regeneration Workshops
Key Stages 3 & 4
July 2006
Wansbeck District Council, with the endorsement of the Bedlington Station ‘Street Pride’ steering group, commissioned Northern Architecture to devise and deliver a set of workshops as a way for young people to participate within the Bedlington Station ‘Street Pride’ initiative.
Through a series of workshops and visits to the area, the young people involved expressed a very keen interest in seeing the station area regenerated. They demonstrated high levels of understanding of the basic principles of place-making and recognised that people need to have activities and things for them to do if a place is to be ‘regenerated’.
The young people were keen on reusing old station buildings as well as providing new (and attractive) places for them to sit and hang out, sports provision (basketball and football) and other activities such as graffiti walls and internet cafes. And whilst they focussed on providing activities for teenagers, they were also able to empathise with and consider the needs of others – suggestions included a climbing frame for younger children, a petting zoo (such as the one in Jesmond Dene) and a tea room for pensioners.
Comments:
‘If I had delivered this it wouldn’t have worked – it needed people from outside the school to come and show what regeneration is about.’ (Class Teacher)
‘I learned about scale and we had to use a mix of subjects’ (Pupil)
Designing-in Reading
Key Stage 4
April - September 2006
Designing-In Reading was an action research project exploring how design could impact on young people’s access to libraries. The project was established as a means of engaging young people, so as to understand why libraries are under-used by teenagers and how that could potentially be re-addressed by improved library environments.
Year 10 students from Stockton and Thornaby had the opportunity to voice and visualise the design interventions they would make to their local libraries through a series of activities including - a design introduction, a trip to award winning libraries in London, a session mapping their local public libraries and a 3D modelling session in a local arts centre.
Comments:
‘It got our imaginations working and gave us ideas. It was different – in a good way!’ (Year 10 student)
Funders:
The Reading Agency, Creative Partnerships Tees Valley
Partners:
Stockton Borough Library Service, GWK Architects, Ainsworth Spark Associates, The Norton Comprehensive School, Thornaby Community School
