Past Education Projects
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.
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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.
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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.
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
