Joinedupdesignforschools
Joinedupdesignforschools gives schoolchildren aged 4 to 16 the role of clients.
They form a client team to create a brief for a design project that will improve quality of life in their school. A designer or architect is appointed to work for them, and together they engage in a client/consultant relationship.
Schoolchildren are listened to and given a voice as creative equals, interacting with these professionals as partners. The unusual combination of young minds and professional design expertise leads to innovative and relevant design concepts for schools.
Planning and Preparation: Over 60 schools nationwide participated in the joinedupdesignforschools programme
The Challenge: Frances Sorrell with the client team from Hampden Gurney Primary at the Bloomberg temporary art centre
The Brief: A brief prepared by the Acland Burghley School client team for SHH Architects
The Conversation: The Finham Park School client team develop their idea for Playerthree to design a web-based game improving school communication
The Concept: Thomas Heatherwick presents his concept for a new entrance at Camden School for Girls
The Follow Up: The Falmouth School client team view the progress of their design & technology block designed by Urban Salon Architects (now Mowat & Company)
By giving them the responsibility of being the clients, of being their school’s representatives and decision‑makers, the schoolchildren learn life skills such as communication, teamwork, negotiation and problem‑solving, as well as developing a real sense of ownership for their school. The process has generated a list of common issues that schoolchildren want to address, from redesigning school uniforms to creating inspiring learning spaces.
“I’m convinced that the fact that I was able to refer to and discuss my part in the project, and particularly its presentation at the Victoria & Albert Museum, had a major influence on me getting offered a place at Cambridge [University]”.
“I think this is probably the richest curriculum opportunity you can offer these children, because every area of the curriculum has been covered by just setting a problem”.
“I think there’s an enormous value for a designer to work with children as clients, because it shows you how it ought to be with adults”.
Many of the UK’s leading names in design, some of the world’s best designers, have worked on these projects, including: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Paul Smith, Thomas Heatherwick, Alsop Architects, PriestmanGoode, Wolff Olins and Conran & Partners. The programme demonstrates how the design industry can be joined up with the education sector, so that schools can benefit from its experience and skills. These partnerships also encourage reciprocal learning, where professionals can learn as much from young people, as young people can from professionals.
After development with over 100,000 schoolchildren, the programme has become a model showing how to give young people a say in the way their schools are designed, whilst inspiring their creativity and confidence.
The Times reports on the new school uniform designed by Sir Paul Smith for Aldercar Community School in Nottinghamshire
Designer Kevin McCloud and the client team at Beacon Community Junior School sit together in their redesigned multipurpose school hall
A flexible performing arts space opens at Mounts Bay School in Penzance designed by architect Phin Manasseh
Pupils at Acland Burghley School make use of their multi-purpose dining area, designed by SHH Architects, that includes an Internet café and an outdoor social space
Falmouth School’s completed design & technology block designed by Urban Salon Architects (now Mowat & Company)
Pupils at Langdon School using the new performance stage designed by Richard Seymour of seymourpowell
publication
Joinedupdesignforschools
This book tells the full story of the joinedupdesignforschools programme, featuring over sixty remarkable projects from across Britain. It describes how the results of this pioneering collaboration could change our schools for the future.
publication
Design for Learning
This study of the joinedupdesignforschools pilot was published in 2001 by the independent think-tank, Demos. It recommended the pilot’s expansion into a national initiative. The report was launched at Number 11 Downing Street, hosted by the Smith Institute.
publication
Touring Exhibition 2005-06
The results of the joinedupdesignforschools programme were shown in an exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum. The exhibition toured the UK engaging with more schools, architects, designers and local authorities, concluding at Westminster. This paper documents the touring exhibition.
