Architecture in Year 11 Real-life Projects With Impact

I initiated the Year 11 Architecture unit as a way for students to build upon the technical and creative skills we have developed over the course of the previous stages of our Technology and STEM programs, but to also to give students a real-world project wherein they would be introduced to working professionals who can give them insight and perspectives we can’t.

In this project students are required to interview a full spectrum of stakeholders for the design challenge we are undertaking that year. They research existing solutions and seek out inspiration for new ones, then develop those ideas further. For skill-building, students study graphical modeling for architecture, learn to use Finite Element Analysis features within Fusion 360 to predict reactions in structures they are proposing, build scaled card architectural models, and finally present their proposed solutions back to project stakeholders. Students also present their work in two phases to guest architects, once at the graphical stage in order to gather feedback on their chosen directions for development, and once when their scaled models are approximately 70% complete, allowing them time to still make adjustments before presenting back to stakeholders.

Cards of the World Culture, Pattern & Symmetry

Cards of the World was a collaborative project between Dulwich College Beijing Art Teachers, and was conceived by Head of Department Jenn Knowles and myself. Every student in Year 8 contributed a playing card design, and the final printed sets are being sold to raise money for the “Yunnan Project” charity fund. As the card box reads: “[The Yunnan Project] is a charity where DCB students raise funds to support schools for migrant children in Yunnan province. DCB runs two trips per year where students engage with local communities and funds raised go towards building essential facilities such as bathrooms and playground resources.”