Thursday, May 10, 2012

architects in schools


Last week I left off describing the class project for my 5th graders Architect’s in Schools program at Faubion Elementary.  The program runs from March through the beginning of May every year.  This is the fourth school that I have taught at over the last six years.  My goal is to try and introduce them to what architecture is all about - no easy task in such a short time.  
I have slowly been molding the curriculum each year to simplify and focus on several aspects of architecture...in particular - residential architecture.  We look at history and culture, structure and technology.  We conclude with a client workshop where each student is assigned their own project for a special client.  To make it more fun - their clients are animals.   Each animal requires different types of shelter to accommodate their typical type of habitat as well as some extraordinary human characteristics each animal possesses.
Each year the students are always surprised at how difficult this is ....how time consuming building is and how much thought is involved in creating something from nothing.   However, they always want more time and are never ready to stop.
Next year I think I may try something different for the final project.  - maybe a chicken coup or a treehouse? What do you think?


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