Project description
Years 12 and 13, Sound house - to produce a sound tower combining sculpture and soundscapes with the aim of modelling a particular mood
Incorporating soundscapes into 3D sculptural work proved to be a successful approach for 16 art & design BTEC national diploma students. This project involved the students in recording the sounds of buildings, research into the work of artists and architects, and learning about sound ambience.
Highbury Grove School students outside the Royal Opera House © Michele Turriani
One teacher commented, ‘The design process was followed through in this project with a degree of sophistication and commitment I haven’t witnessed previously.’
What were we trying to achieve?
The learning objectives were for students to:
- understand the potential of digital media in contemporary design practice
- experiment by combining traditional digital, art and design media
- produce various examples of work using digital art and design techniques.
How did we organise our learning?
Activities
Overall project
Students were given a design brief to investigate and produce a sound tower that would combine sculpture and sound to create a specific mood. Students were given eight hours a week over three months to complete the project.
Activity 1
Students produced a sketch book of ideas about creating atmosphere from light and sound.
Activity 2
A visit to the Serpentine Gallery gave students the opportunity to make sound recordings of the space and the journey to and from the gallery. This helped them to understand the relationship of sound to space, buildings and architecture. Students researched into how artists and architects work, and how sound affects ambience.
Activity 3
After coming up with designs, students produced 3D sketches and models for their sound towers.
Activity 4
Students made more sound recordings in and around the college and during a visit to Tate Modern. Students edited the sound samples to create a chosen mood.
Activity 5
For the final project, students made their own large-scale sound tower, using loud speakers to amplify the sound.
Resources used
- Flickr
- Serpentine Gallery
- Tate Modern
- school grounds
- modelling materials
- Google SketchUp software
- sound recording equipment.
Funding
The school received a £1,500 educational grant from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). This allowed the school to buy materials and equipment and to be more ambitious.
Tate Modern walkway seen from above, London © Michele Turriani
How well have we achieved our aims?
Outcomes
Student specific
- The project matched the learning style of students as many are 3D thinkers and found this more interesting than 2D design work.
- Two of the students are interested in architecture as a career and others are considering interior design.
- All students passed the grading criteria for the units of study covered in the project. Indeed, all the students produced their strongest work through this project.
- The students were invited to show their work at the Ideas Bank, an event celebrating creative approaches to architecture education at Iniva, which was organised by the Architecture Education Network.
Teacher specific
The project inspired other teachers to increase their teaching of 3D work and sound, the latter making a strong link with media classes.
The assessment methods used were:
- continual informal assessment throughout the project
- formal assessment of units covered in the project
- a feedback form for completion by all students at the end of the project.
What worked well
- The theme of 'atmosphere' worked really well. It led to some very interesting and individual ideas. It is a good theme to work with, being broad enough for students to interpret on their own.
- Students’ freedom to work with a greater range of materials suited their design ideas.
What didn’t work so well
- The worst part was delays due to financial regulations. This meant having to order materials and waiting for them to arrive.
- Ordering specialist materials for certain students was sometimes difficult.
One teacher commented, ‘The main thing I would change if I was to run this again would be to organise workshops with architectural institutions in London. I didn't realise what they offer.’
Further information
Images from the project
Recommended resources
Flickr website for keeping a photographic archive or video recordings of work in progress
Folding Architecture: Spatial, structural and organizational diagrams by Sophia Vyzoviti
Sir John Soane's Museum and any other museum that offers architectural workshops
