360
360°
Learning through buildings and places
Issue 19: Summer 2009
Teaching the built environment diploma
Learning from San Francisco
Manchester’s new college and library
Meet a mechanical engineer
SCHO
PULL OL
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INSIDER
E
Summer spotlight°
Hello and welcome to the summer edition
of 360˚ – the leading magazine for education
on architecture and the built environment.
As you’ll see my first few months in post have
been a busy time for CABE’s education team.
At the end of March, we held a very successful
Engaging Places event at the Victoria & Albert
Museum with culture secretary Andy Burnham.
After his speech he was grilled by some of the
students who took part – which, as you’ll read,
led to some interesting answers.
The new diploma in construction and the built
environment is under way and CABE has been
bringing together key players to discuss the next
steps. You’ll see from the report there are some
great ideas around, but also some issues to
be resolved.
As you read this 100,000 students across
the country will be taking part in Green Day.
I believe Green Day is a great way to help make
schools more sustainable and all of us more
environmentally aware, so we’ll be providing a full
report in the next edition – watch this space!
06 Policy and practice
Teaching the new diploma
Centre pull-out poster
Designing a building that works
08 Looking towards San Francisco
10 Education at the architecture centres
12 CABE education resources
This spring saw CABE team up with
north London’s Wren Academy and
young architecture practice Harry Dobbs
Design for a project exploring housing.
A group of year 7 students took part
in activities that encouraged them to
think about their personal space, their
family base and their community place.
“We introduced students to the space most
familiar to them – their bedroom – asking
them to measure and draw plans of the
space,” teacher Ronnie Smylie explained.
“Later sessions explored the home and then
the wider neighbourhood. At each stage,
the students reviewed the set-up. Later
they had to think about the most important
elements in different spaces, including a
tree house, a tower block and an island.”
“I believe Green Day is a
great way to help make
schools more sustainable
and all of us more
environmentally aware”
Anne Diack
Head of education
360˚ Issue 19
The project worked around a busy school
timetable as it linked up with a range of
subjects and developed students’ personal
learning and thinking skills. Student
feedback showed that they appreciated
the variety of resources used and that
group work allowed them to be more
adventurous when developing ideas.
Throughout the summer term Wren
Academy is replicating the project and
delivering it independently with the rest
of the year 7 humanities classes. CABE
will share the lessons from the project so
that others can use it in the next academic
year. For further information please contact
Laura Broderick, education advisor at
CABE, email lbroderick@cabe.org.uk
Left and above © CABE Broderick
We also feature a BSF think tank held by Kent
Architecture Centre and Sittingbourne Community
College, a project in which architects working
with the Wren Academy inspire school students
to consider My space, my base, my place
(see opposite) and work from the Architectural
Foundation of San Francisco. There’s our usual
round-up of news from the architecture centres
and, on our pull-out poster, Richard Walder,
a mechanical engineer, explains why his job is
so fascinating.
My space, my
base, my place
04 News Time to engage
360°
03
News°
Left © A&M Photography Limited
“I learnt a lot of things at
Kensington Palace, making the
film had to be the best part”
Tariq Aimey (right) took part
in the Engaging Places project
‘Telling tales at the palace’
Future schools
think tank
Sittingbourne Community
College has used its CABE
education grant to investigate
what makes an ideal learning
and teaching environment.
Working with Kent Architecture
Centre, 18 students were
introduced to key design
concepts and vocabulary
to help them express their
opinions and ideas more easily.
They visited new schools in the
region, before putting together a
report and presentation on how
new or refurbished buildings
can be designed to promote
more effective learning.
Video footage and photos from
the site visits, and drawings and
models of classroom spaces and
furniture illustrating innovative
ideas, have been collected.
These are being used to aid a
series of student-led workshops
that will engage a wider group
of students in the project.
If you would like to be updated
with news of future CABE
education grants, sign up to
our network www.cabe.org.
uk/education/network
04
Discovering
Places 2009
As part of the programme of
cultural activity leading up
to London 2012, Discovering
Places, a Cultural Olympiad
project being delivered by
CABE, Heritage Link and
Natural England, will host an
open weekend in or around
the Olympic site in Stratford
each year up until the Games.
This year’s open weekend
is planned to take place
on Saturday 25 July at the
Greenway, a six-mile foot and
cycle path that runs through
east London from Hackney
Wick to the Royal Docks.
The path follows the line of
Bazelgette’s Northern Outfall
Sewer. As it is elevated above
the surrounding city, it gives
fantastic views over east
London and the Olympic site.
Visitors on the day will be able
to get close to the Olympic
park developments, learn about
the local natural, historical and
contemporary environments
and enjoy a range of events and
activities along the Greenway
route. To keep up to date with
the plans as they develop
go to www.cabe.org.uk/
london-2012/ospace
Pupils from Barmby-on-theMarsh primary school in Yorkshire
presented their ‘maximising
learning space’ project at
the Engaging Places launch
event. Working with East
Riding of Yorkshire School
Improvement Service, 24 key
stage 2 students designed a
summer house in the school
grounds that would function as
a classroom, playroom, tearoom
on garden party day, cricket
pavilion and ticket office.
The aim of the project was
to develop a sense of social
responsibility and foster a sense
of ownership in the students.
The whole school contributed
their ideas about what the
summer house would be used
for, and the key stage 2 students
researched garden design and
garden buildings, from ancient
ruins to follies. They then each
made a model of a summer
house they thought would
best cater for the school and
importantly the local community.
360˚ Issue 19
All other images © Alys Tomlinson
Making the
most of learning
spaces
Time to engage
Culture secretary Andy Burnham
joined CABE and English
Heritage in March at London’s
V&A museum for ‘Time to
engage’ – a celebration of best
practice projects from the new
Engaging Places network.
The event brought teachers,
students and learning providers
together to share the 13
partnership projects developed
in the 2008/09 academic year.
Presenting to a packed auditorium,
teachers and students used film,
photographic presentations and
an exhibition to tell their story.
Mr Burnham stressed
the importance of using
neighbourhoods and local
experts to bring subjects to life.
“Engaging Places gives every
young person the chance to
feel a part of all the amazing
architecture and heritage with
which this country is blessed”.
During an on-stage interview,
students from Graveney School
in Tooting, south London,
asked Mr Burnham about his
favourite building. He praised
St Martin-in-the-Fields church in
Trafalgar Square and the Royal
Liver Building in Liverpool for
their beauty, but top of his list
was Goodison Park – home
of his beloved Everton Football
Club! His most memorable
moment while at school was
campaigning for a cricket pitch on
the school grounds – that pitch
is still used at his school today.
Details of all the projects can be
found at www.engagingplaces.
org.uk/network If you are a
teacher or learning provider who
would like to get involved contact
Hannah Lake hlake@cabe.org.uk
Have you used a CABE
education resource as the
basis for a project or lesson
with young people? Would you
like to see them included here
or on our website? If so please
email education@cabe.org.uk
05
Policy and practice°
Qualification themes
and levels
Diplomatic efforts
The construction and the built environment (CBE) diploma is
one of five pilot diplomas launched by DCSF in 2008 as part
of the 14-19 education reforms. What opportunities does
the new diploma offer to teachers and students? And, after
its first academic year of operation, what are the remaining
challenges? Laura Broderick reports
Diplomas are available at a
range of academic levels and
aim to help students to progress
towards skilled jobs, further
education and university.
While there is still a great deal
of classroom based learning,
the new construction and the
built environment (CBE) diploma
offers students the chance to
learn in a variety of settings and
through a mixture of academic
and practical activities.
Forty four consortia (delivery
partnerships of schools,
colleges, training providers and
employers) offered the diploma in
September 2008. For teachers in
those areas, it required creating
new lesson plans, organising site
visits, engaging employers and
balancing practical activities with
core curriculum content.
06
As a pilot diploma, the practical
application has inevitably faced
teething troubles. To help
teachers and organisations
delivering the diploma, CABE
brought together representatives
from built environment and
policy-setting organisations,
schools, and colleges in March
to debate the design strand of
the CBE diploma.
Broader concerns emerged
than teaching and learning about
design. High on the list was the
need for accurate marketing of
the diploma so that students
started the course with realistic
expectations of the academic
content. Students had a vision
of the term ‘construction’ but
expectations of learning about
the ‘built environment’ were less
clear. That perception problem
© Michele Turriani All other images © Tanya Harris
David Bell, director of
qualifications and policy for
Asset Skills, the sector skills
council covering housing,
property and planning,
explains: “The CBE is not only
a qualification – it’s a highquality learning experience and
programme of applied learning
in which students explore the
built environment and the impact
it has on communities.”
By 2011 CBE diplomas will be
available in 17 different subjects.
Diplomas can be taken at three
levels, starting in year 10 or 12:
· Level 1 – Foundation
(equivalent to five GCSEs
at grades D to G)
· Level 2 – Higher
(equivalent to seven GCSEs
at grades A* to C)
· Level 3 – Advanced
(equivalent to three and a half
A-levels).
The three compulsory course
themes within the diploma are:
· Design: learn how the built
environment is designed and
constructed, how it affects
people and communities,
and how history, politics and
economics affect it.
· Create: develop a range of
skills and knowledge needed
in different industries – for
example, using tools and
understanding modern
construction methods and
materials.
· Value: analyse the need
for good management and
continuous maintenance, and
understand the importance of
good design, workmanship
and teamwork.
Alongside acquiring sector skills
and knowledge, students study
maths, English and ICT. Students
have the opportunity to develop
their own project and attend work
experience for at least 10 days.
360˚ Issue 19
could also influence the maledominated take up – in Bristol,
for instance, there are no girls
at all on the course.
year we’re going to take a more
holistic creative approach, using
a local site as a case study
for project work.”
“Students have the
opportunity to develop
their own project and
attend work experience
for at least 10 days”
If you are a CBE tutor and would
like to discuss your experience
of delivering the diploma or
to share good practice, please
contact Laura Broderick
lbroderick@cabe.org.uk
Tutors explained that while they
regard the diploma as high
quality, these issues still need to
be resolved. Day-to-day lesson
plans and resources would
also help to make it a success.
Many of those involved are
planning some changes next
year. For instance, Jo Bishop,
CBE programme co-ordinator
for City of Bristol College, said:
“This year we decided to split
the units between tutors but next
Further reading
www.cbediploma.co.uk
www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19
www.qca.org.uk/diploma
www.teachernet.gov.uk/
diplomas
www.engagingplaces.org.uk
Public space resource
CABE, keen to support this new
diploma, worked with the V&A+RIBA
Architecture Partnership to engage
diploma groups in the design of
public space. Using Exhibition
Road in London as an example of a
changing streetscape, a class from
Kent participated in a workshop at
the V&A, and a group from Bristol
explored possibilities for a local
street. Student feedback showed
that they welcomed the opportunity
to come up with their own ideas.
“It laid a foundation for design work
to be approached with enthusiasm,”
one tutor commented.
07
Looking towards° San Francisco
© iStockphoto.com / Jim Jurica
buildings around it.” Their
favourite element of the design
was the clever use of the roof
for a multi-level garden area.
California learning
Do you want to inspire your students with
an unusual competition? The Architectural
Foundation of San Francisco did just
that. Its design competition for high
school students has run for 40 years, with
many winners going on to be successful
as architects, design professionals or
engineers. Anne Diack reports
Wong kept the brief open,
with instructions to address
sustainability, the features
particular to the site – including
historical aspects, and to think
about how people would use
the space.
learned from the process. One
of the judges, Dave Stockdale
of the Centre for Urban Education
about Sustainable Agriculture,
found the competition prompted
ideas about communication.
“This was an opportunity to explore
the ways in which we can better
interface with the public,” he said.
The overall winner in 2008
was Kayla Hidalgo of Lowell
High School in San Francisco.
The judges thought her design
“addressed the condition of
the site and created an outdoor
space that related to the
Looking at the site, you can
see the challenge. You’ll also
see what a rich learning
opportunity this kind of work
presents – whatever subject
you’re teaching and however
old your students. You can see
the winning designs on the AFSF
website www.afsf.org
We’ve all seen films shot in
San Francisco. Cable cars,
hills, the Bay and the Golden
Gate bridge, the light, the
fog – iconic images of one
of the most visually interesting
cities in the world. There are
many significant buildings,
too. Set up in 1990, the
Architectural Foundation
of San Francisco (AFSF)
is a non-profit educational
body that aims to inspire
schoolchildren about the city
and help them understand the
impact architecture and design
has on their environment and
lives. “We seek to share with
children the passion and
pride that those who shape
the physical environment have
for San Francisco,” says Alan
R. Sandler, the foundation’s
executive director.
Projects include the Build San
Francisco Institute, a half-day
high school programme for
students interested in design,
construction, engineering and
architecture. Run with the
San Francisco Unified
School District and more
than two dozen major San
Francisco firms, Build San
Francisco is open to all
high school students in the
district. Each student who
joins the programme works
with a mentor from a major
San Francisco architecture,
engineering, design,
construction or interior
design company or public
body. High school credits
are awarded for the courses.
The foundation also runs
a summer school institute
for high school students to
develop their own design
skills through animation,
drawing, photography, video,
CAD and 3D modelling,
enabling them to create a
portfolio for college or job
applications.
Find out more at
www.afsf.org
Back in England
At CABE, we’re planning to run
a design competition for English
schools. We are asking for input
from teachers to help shape
the brief. If you have any ideas,
please email education@cabe.
org.uk
The resulting designs were
wide ranging, and the models
of a very high standard – the
students were clearly learning
a lot by taking part. But they
weren’t the only people who
08
Below © Axel Mueller Right © AFSF
In 2008 Bolan Wong, a former
winner of the student design
competition run by the
Architectural Foundation of
San Francisco (ASAF) and
now at Gensler, a leading
architectural firm, challenged
present-day students to design
a building for the Centre for
Sustainable Agriculture on
the city’s waterfront.
The objectives of the brief were to:
· increase the participants
awareness of the relationships
between space, human scale
and function
· encourage them to start
identifying problems and
benefits in planning and
designing for specific uses
· push them to apply their
analytical skills and creative
problem solving
· give them experience in
communicating planning and
design ideas through drawing
and models.
The challenge set for 2009
was to design a building that
will serve as a museum, archive
and learning centre about the
rich film history of the city’s Bay
area. The project site is on the
Bay on the edge of a stretch of
water bounded by two piers.
The challenge was tough – what
kind of building would best serve
the purpose and still exploit the
advantages of the location?
The students were given a map
of the area and the site and some
photos to help them understand
the context.
Architectural Foundation of San Francisco
360˚ Issue 19
09
Education at the architecture centres°
The lives
of buildings
A pattern of places
Urban Vision North Staffordshire
(UVNS) is running a series of
events during 2009 to engage
young people in an exploration
of the built environment in North
Staffordshire at both the macro
scale of town planning and the
micro scale of detail, decoration
and materials. The students will
think about their experience of
where they live, and how this
experience has changed over
time. They will also consider
their impact on the local urban
environment compared to the
urban environment’s impact
on them. The end of each
project will culminate in a public
exhibition at the School of Art in
Burslem. If you would like to find
out how your school could get
involved contact Fiona Waddle
fiona.waddle@uvns.org
Open House has joined
forces with English Heritage
to create a series of exciting
architecture events over the
weekend 26–28 June, as
part of the ‘Story of London’
festival. Building Lives/The
Lives of Buildings will illustrate
the links between historic and
contemporary architecture,
revealing why some buildings
fail and others remain popular.
The programme will also look
forward, with experts explaining
how they are working to make
buildings more sustainable.
Evergreen day
10
in Torpoint to consider the
crossing between Devon and
Cornwall. Almost a quarter of
Torpoint’s students use the
Torpoint Ferry twice a day
to cross from their homes in
Devon to school in
Cornwall. But will this still be
possible in 50 years’ time?
Students looked at designs
from the past, and compared
these to futuristic alternatives.
So far over 500 students have
taken part, and ACD&C is
asking another 300 students
the question again this June.
If you are based in Devon or
Cornwall and are interested in
running a similar day at your
school email Marie Sellars,
education and projects
manager, marie.sellars@
acdandc.org.uk. The new
edition of CABE’s Green Day
activity kit is now available.
To order a copy go to www.
cabe.org.uk/publications
360˚ Issue 19
For details of your local
architecture and built
environment centre,
as well as news, activities,
events and programmes
in your region, go to
www.architecturecentre.net
Look to the
future, look east!
Back to school
Fundamental’s ‘legacy now
youth panel’ has continued its
work with the team at EDAW,
masterplanning the Olympic
Park after the 2012 Games.
The young people have submitted
a formal response to the planning
documents and have created
a soundscape to accompany
a fly-through of the proposed
developments. On 17 July the
panel will host a multi-media
event for other young people
about the plans for east London.
If you would like to bring a group
of students along to the event
which starts at 2pm at the Ocean
in Hackney please contact
Julie Creffield at Fundamental
on 020 8471 7929 or email
julie@fundamental.uk.net.
The legacy now youth panel
is a dedicated group of young
people from the five Olympic host
boroughs. The programme was
commissioned and funded by the
London Development Agency in
partnership with London’s five
2012 host boroughs. For more
information visit www.legacynow.co.uk
© Fundamental
The Architecture Centre
Devon and Cornwall (ACD&C)
used the Green Day activity
book in March to support two
‘education for sustainable
development’ days at Torpoint
Community School, East
Cornwall. The day consisted
of a range of school-wide
cross-curricular activities,
including learning how to
make an emergency shelter
in case of an environmental
disaster and making alternative
fuels using a lemonade
bottle. To coincide with the
150th anniversary of Brunel’s
Royal Albert Bridge, ACD&C
also worked with students
Above and right © UVNS
For more information visit
www.london.gov.uk/
storyoflondon
The Architecture Centre
Network co-ordinates,
supports and advances
the work of architecture
and built environment
centres.
Solent Centre for Architecture
+ Design is running a series
of workshops for teachers
throughout the year in and
around the Hampshire area.
A built environment workshop
takes place over two half
days, providing a complete
introduction to the built
environment – exploring why
it is important, how it can be
used and how to embed it
into teaching practice.
The workshop is very handson and considers individual
teachers’ schemes of
work, enabling teachers to
develop content for particular
subject areas or age groups.
All attendees receive a
comprehensive workshop
manual and toolkit to keep.
The half-day ‘SketchUp’
courses are suitable for any
teacher interested in using
this software in their school
and they cater for beginners
and more advanced users.
SketchUp is a free to download
software that allows you to
easily create 3D images. Solent
Centre is also developing
workshops for teachers on the
natural environment and on
sustainability and landscape.
These courses will be offered
during academic year 2009–10.
Visit www.solentcentre.org.
uk/education to register
and for more details as they
become available.
If you would like to be added
to the Solent Centre mailing
list please contact
mark@solentcentre.org.uk
11
°063
Inspiring young people to get more out of buildings and spaces
CABE’s education work aims to ensure that young people understand the value of
well-designed buildings and spaces. Our ambition is to nurture a generation of confident
and demanding citizens playing an active role in improving villages, towns and cities.
CABE education resources
All our education resources
are available to download
free of charge at www.cabe.
org.uk/teachingresources,
in some cases publications
are also available to order in
hard copy. All the resources
identify curriculum links,
learning objectives and contain
suggestions for interactive
activities.
Engaging Places
www.engagingplaces.org.uk
Supporting teaching and
learning through buildings and
places. The website is packed
with ideas and information,
including best practice case
studies and teaching resources
for all key stages. To sign up to
the newsletter, go to the website
home page.
Key stage 2
Neighbourhood journeys:
making the ordinary
extraordinary
Using the local built environment
as a context for learning in and
around the school.
Our street: learning to see
This revised cross-curricular
teachers’ guide provides
numerous ideas and suggestions
for making a visual analysis of a
street, and includes a CD ROM
of images.
Key stages 3 and 4
Green Day
Green Day is a one-day event
for schools about climate change
and the built environment.
Sign up online to CABE’s network of teachers, educators
and other professionals to get free copies of 360 magazine
mailed to you direct www.cabe.org.uk/360
Getting out there: art and
design local safari guide
Five ideas to support teachers
in using local buildings, places
and spaces for teaching.
Key stage 4
Where will I live?
www.geography.org.uk/
projects/wherewillilive
A GCSE geography resource
exploring housing issues,
developed in partnership with
the Geographical Association.
Key stage 5
Making better places
www.makingbetterplaces.org.uk
A geography resource for
analysing the design and
structure of places and
developing design solutions.
Material developed by Joint
Centre for Urban Design
(JCUD) at Oxford Brookes
and supported by CABE.
Designed by Together Printed by Seacourt on Revive Uncoated 100% recycled Cover image © Alys Tomlinson
Commission for Architecture
and the Built Environment
1 Kemble Street
London
WC2B 4AN
T 020 7070 6700
F 020 7070 6777
E education@cabe.org.uk
www.cabe.org.uk