IABSEConference–CreativityandCollaborationApril19-202017,Bath,UnitedKingdom
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InspiringtheNextGeneration
DanielBergsagel,SineadConneely,LauraHannigan,PhilipIsaacAKTIILimitedandScaleRuleCIC
StevenKennedy,AnnabelKoeckGrimshawArchitectsandScaleRuleCIC
Contact:[email protected]
AbstractThispaperpresentsahandsonapproachtoinspiringmoreyoungstudentstoconsidercareersintheindustrythroughcreative,interactiveworkshopswitharealdesignchallenge.
Keywords:Creativedesign,Communityoutreach,Pavilion,Students
1 Whoarethenextdesigners?Each year the UK fails to produce enoughengineering graduates to fill the roles available;the estimated shortfall is asmuch as 55,000 perannum[1].ThisskillsgappresentsarisktotheUKeconomy [1]; Architecture and structuralengineering currently draw professionals from apredominantly white, male and middle classsubset of society [2-4]. This leads to anunrepresentativedemographictakingdecisionsonour built environment. It also exacerbates theskills shortage by reducing the pool of availablegraduates.
To address these issues positive action needs totaken. This can be tackled at a national scale bylargeinstitutions[5-8],butalsoatalocalscalebysmall groups of self-organising youngprofessionals.
ThispaperpresentsaseriesofprojectscompletedinLondonbetween2015and2017byScaleRule,acollectiveofengineersandarchitects.Theprojectaimedto inspirekeystage4and5students (14 -18 years old) from demographics currentlyunderrepresented in the built environment
industry to consider careers in engineering andarchitecture.
Byplacinganemphasisonthecreativeaspectsofbuilt environment design, students who have noprior knowledge of the industry can develop anunderstanding of design and the profession. Byliaising with schools pre-selected by educationalcharities including teach first and the accessproject we engage with students from lowerincome families and/or black or minority ethnicbackgrounds.
2 ThePavilionProjectsThebestwaytolearnistodo.ThepremiseofthePavilionProjects is for teamsofstudents to learnabout the design process by developing a realbrief over twodays ofworkshops, culminating ineachteampresentingtheirfinaldesigntoapanelfromindustryandacademia.Teamsofbetween2and6studentsareeachmentoredbyanarchitector structural engineer to help them through thedesignprocessbychallengingthemtothinkaboutrelevant design constraints - such as access,buildability, stability, user interaction - andteaching them about how to communicate their
IABSEConference–CreativityandCollaborationApril19-202017,Bath,UnitedKingdom
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ideas - through sketching, model making andpresenting.Byemployingacollectiveapproachtotutoring,manyparticipatingprofessionalscommita small amount of time to introduce students tothe industry, reducing the time commitment tosomethingmanageableforbusyprofessionals.
In parallel to the design development runs aseminar stream on the fundamentals ofarchitecture, structural engineering, construction,and sustainability - with a focus on the careerrouteaswellasthework.
AcrucialcomponentofanyPavilionProjectistheimminentrealityofthebrief.Onthefirstmorningof the workshops the students are taken to thesite where the pavilion will be located, and it isexplained that the selected student design from
thecritwillbedevelopedintoaschemewhichwillbe realised in less than 4months. The tangibilityoftheproject,andthedesiretoseeone’sdesigndeveloped to construction galvanises studentengagement.
Scale Rule have run the Pavilion Project threetimes since 2015, with 75 students from 13schools contributing to the design and build ofpavilions showcased in Clapton, Clerkenwell andCroatia. The workshops are only completed withthe volunteer assistance of over 40 dedicatedindustryprofessionalswhohelporganise, lecture,tutor and critique over theweekend, and designandbuildthepavilionafterwards.
3 ConclusionsThe Pavilion Projects are now in their third year,andcontinuetodevelop,engagingmorestudents,tutors,companiesandinstitutions.Thepremiseissimple: invitingstudentsoveraweekendto learnabout architecture, structural engineering anddesign through a real brief; and over a secondweekend to learnaboutdesigndevelopmentandconstruction by building it. This has proven aneffective and repeatable way to engage youngpeople from underrepresented demographics inarchitectureandstructuralengineering.
ScaleRule are constantlyon the lookout fornewpeople toget involvedandnewcollaborationssoget in touch if you like what you’ve seenwww.scalerule.org
4 AcknowledgementsScale Rule would like to thank AKT II andGrimshaws for their continuing and incrediblygeneroussupport-financial,peopleandplaces.
Hansonplywood,Conneelydrylining,HomeBuildSupplies and Clerkenwell Design Week forgenerous material and technical support andfunding over the years and The Institution ofStructuralEngineersfortheirsupportaswemoveforward with bringing this to students beyondLondon.
Lastly,butbyfarthemostimportant,we’dliketothankall of thewonderful anddedicatedhelperswe’ve had the pleasure inworkingwith over theyears.
5 References[1] http://www.economist.com/news/britai
n/21648003-lack-skilled-workers-and-managers-drags-country-down-mind-gap
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/26/engineerings-stark-racial-inequalities-revealed-by-report
[3] http://www.engineering.com/Education/EducationArticles/ArticleID/10777/How-Socioeconomic-Inequality-Affects-STEM-Education.aspx
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/may/03/engineering-apprenticeships-courses-women-engineers-education-degrees
[5] http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Labour_market_information/Graduate_Market_Trends/Achieving_gender_equality_and_diversity_in_engineering___Autumn_05_/p!eeXadpm
[6] http://stemettes.org/[7] http://www.stemnet.org.uk/ambassadors/[8] http://www.open-
city.org.uk/education/schools/
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