The launched its built environment educational grants in 2007 to increase young people’s understanding of and engagement with the design of buildings, places and green spaces. Since then, 12 awards of £1,500 have been made to primary and secondary schools in England.
Trafalgar school students visit Sir Harold Hillier Gardens © Alys Tomlinson
The aim is to promote educational projects that explore the design of buildings, places and green spaces in an imaginative way. Successful school projects have been linked with a variety of curriculum subjects within one of the award categories. Out-of-school-hours projects that are not specifically curriculum related may also receive a grant, as long as they relate to broader educational and participatory aims.
The grants have been awarded to the following schools within the four categories.
Sustainable building design: for projects that get young people in thinking about how buildings and places can be better designed to reduce their negative impact on the planet.
Students from Dr Thomlinson Middle School in Northumberland will work with a builder to make a temporary ‘straw bale building’, discovering sustainable building processes.
Designing your school grounds: for projects that use school grounds as a learning resource and allow students to learn about design by turning their school grounds into more effective and attractive places.
Chesham Bois CE Combined School in Buckinghamshire will undertake a student led experimental approach to school grounds design, working with a landscape architect in a ‘design for real’ week.
Pupil participation and school buildings: for projects that take advantage of a new school build or refurbishment project (for example a Building Schools for the Future project) to help students think about good design and to get involved in making changes to their school environment.
The Sittingbourne Community College in Kent will use their grant to develop a ‘BSF design think tank’ to investigate what makes successful learning and teaching environments.
Year five students at Orleton Primary School in Shropshire will work with an architect, engineer and landscape architect to design and construct ‘Orleton canopies’ for their school.
Robert Clark Comprehensive students visit Barking Central as part of a How Places Work programme © Ashley Bingham and Mark Ellis, A&M Photography
Learning about local places: for projects that use the rich source of learning opportunities right on the school’s doorstep, using visits, on-site explorations and creative work.
Archbishop Blanch School’s year sevens plan to explore the regeneration of ‘the world in Kensington’ in Liverpool, considering how land use and communities change over time.
Students from across Lower Darwen Primary School in Blackburn will work with adult learners to explore the architecture of their local area and ‘pride in our local community’.
Grants are awarded by considering how far the proposal would contribute to students’ understanding of buildings and places, how imaginative and motivating the project is, and the extent to which other schools could benefit from the ideas. Successful applicants have created opportunities to involve students in the design process, either through an exemplary learning experience or live participation.
Past projects have included:
- making a geodesic dome
- learning about Swedish sustainable housing
- exploring iconic architecture
- constructing an accessible walkway.
The BSIX Sixth Form College, Hackney explored the boundaries between sculpture, sound art and architecture in its ‘sound tower’ project. Students collected ambient sounds from the built environment and incorporated these into the design of a pavilion using traditional modelling and SketchUp). The project challenged students to respond to design in buildings and places.
Visit the CABE website to find out more details about the award winners. To make sure your school is in the running for a grant for 2009, keep a watch on the CABE website for application details.
To read past projects, visit the following articles:
BSIX Sixth Form College
Appledore Primary School, year 6
Joseph Rowntree School, year 9
