The Architecture into Education Awards have been launched to celebrate teachers and built environment professionals who have been using the theme of architecture and the built environment education within classroom teaching or collaboration. These first of their kind awards aim to recognise, promote, and encourage school-led learning programmes exploring architecture and the built environment. Supported by Twelve Healers Trust.
2023 Themes
Designing for wellbeing & community
Wellbeing for everyone taking account of culture diversity and needs.
Winner - OSMOPE, Porto
OSMOPE pupils (4-9 year olds) were provoked to go on the field, exploring the street “Mouzinho da Silveira”, promoting an early relationship between children and communities – with urban places, functions, people and their stories – as well as with the architectural notions of design, graphics, dimensions and scales -, the characteristic proportions of the inside/school and the outside/street, materialized in an in between/ museum.
Sustainability - The 6 ‘R’s + 1
Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair, the building blocks of sustainability
Winner - King Edward VI Aston School
Net-zero is a Year 8 project run in the Design and Technology Department at King Edward VI Aston School. The
project uses the theme of an eco-town to introduce the themes of sustainability, energy sources and future planning to the students. Through product analysis of existing eco-friendly solutions, collaborative teamwork and sketching/prototyping students develop their own eco-friendly concepts themed around the idea of a net zero town that has no carbon impact on the environment. Students prototype their final concepts and present them to the class at the end of the project.
Architecture through STEM or STEAM
Approaching architecture as part of STEM or STEAM subjects in the curriculum
Winner - The Ursuline Academy Ilford
Among the many huge efforts needed to reach net zero by 2050, lies the issue of designing more sustainable
buildings something that will require cross-disciplinary innovation from sectors including construction and energy. A project focussing on a sustainable building design with potential to form greener, zero carbon living communities of the future. Team Project Prasinos had just that in mind, as they put forward their concept for a practical building solution. A design as accessible and inclusive capable of generating its own renewable energy from transparent photovoltaic glass. As well as encouraging biodiversity and plant growth to absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Key Stages - activity or project of your choosing
Primary KS 1&2
Architecture and design for Primary Education, Key Stage 1 & 2
Winner - Soho Primary School
Third annual edition of Soho Primary School pupils designing Christmas lighting to illuminate their local streets.
Bring together pupils and community from different backgrounds for diversity, inclusion and belonging; pupils to be inspired by practitioners and creatives to explore their creativity and develop practical and soft skills; investigate their local architecture and communities, the impact light has on the built environment where pupils live, learn, play; learn about Identity of Place how buildings and people we interact with, help us form a unique sense of self; celebrate their own Identity of Place by creating a lighting design inspired by their local architecture and community.
Secondary KS3/4
Architecture for Secondary Education, Key Stage 3 and 4
Winner - King Edward VI Aston School
Introducing an architectural project was a daunting challenge. However, the engagement from students, the outcomes produced and the conversations that it has started within lessons make it absolutely clear that it is an important part of our STEM curriculum and is something that we must continue to expose our students to.
Sixth Form & FE
Architecture for Sixth Form and Further Education
Winner - Coventry College
A series of workshops teaching perspective, scale and proportion allowed for students to visualise their design fully culminating in the construction of the model. All areas are related to the following curriculum marking scheme as they work towards, investigating ideas, problem solving, technical skill, communication and professional practice.
Collaborations & Resources
Collaborations School Design Practices or HE Institutions
Resources for teachers to introduce built environment and design in classrooms .
Commendation - Caitlin Latimer-Jones
Geometry, patterns and Islamic Architecture. This workshop brings Architecture into the classroom, to demonstrate how the design of buildings deeply connects with Art, Maths, Science, Geography and beyond!
The workshop includes Presentation (PowerPoint/PDF) with examples
Practices or Higher Education collaborating with schools introducing architecture to the pupils in the curriculum within a classroom setting
Winner - Broadway Malyan
Aylesford School’s Year 5 engaged in a series of activities around the topic of ‘The World is a Village’ which provided opportunity for the practice to collaborate with the school creating a classroom workshop on designing a village of the future.
Despite their young age, the children were able to link design responses and take design decisions based on logical answers to practical problems and while some of the ideas were exciting in theory but impractical in reality, there were many solutions, from photovoltaic eco huts to attract tourists, to innovative transport solutions for an aging population and insect cafes to reduce the impact of food production, that showed maturity and understanding far beyond their years.
Online Teacher Resources
Leading Providers - Not-for-profits and organisations
This category is specifically for non profits creating long terms school programmes as part of their organisation’s objectives.
Winner - Open City
Foryoung people living in areas of high deprivation and/or rapid change, the city can be an intimidating and exclusive place. This programme for primary pupils aims to change that: enabling the next generation to understand that the city can offer access to their shared heritage, a sense of belonging and an exciting future.
Following the pandemic and severe underfunding in schools, Open City offers an extensive range of tailored support material to their schools and professional partners. This includes national curriculum links, advice and training, lesson plans, workbooks and kit boxes.
Some 2000 primary school children: across 27 schools in East and West London took part together with tailored sessions at 4 SEN schools.
Inspiring Teacher of the Year
Rose Russell, Art & DT Technician and STEM Coordinator, The Ursuline Academy Ilford
Inspiring Built Environment Professional of the Year
Venetia Wolfenden, Urban Learners (not for profit)
and
Natalie Wells, Greater London Authority (local authority)
Inspiring Individuals of the Year
Recognising the work undertaken by an individual - someone who has made an excellent contribution to our theme ‘Architecture into Education’.