Eco-Cubby: footprint on the world

Working collaboratively @ Wooranna Park Primary School

Here's the next two session updates from Architect Harriet Stone:

Session 2

For this session we focused on exploring the site further and started to develop the brief.

We split into groups and rotated through different exercises. The first group sat around a site plan of the front of the school and everyone took a turn at placing a sticker on the map where they thought the cubby should be located. There was a lot of fantastic discussion from each student as to why they would like their cubby in their chosen spot. The common theme across all of the groups was that they wanted it to be somewhere shady/cool and it needs to be visible so that people can see all the great work they are doing at the school on arrival or just driving past!

In order to develop the brief, the other groups were given a set of questions to answer where they discussed each question and wrote the answers down collaboratively. The questions were as follows:

- "Who is going to use the Eco-Cubby. And when will it be used?"

- "What is the Eco-Cubby going to be used for? What activities can we do in the Eco-Cubby?"

- "What would make you feel safe and happy in the Eco-Cubby?"

- "What are some "eco" ideas for our cubby?

All the students then started to draw based on the questions above. There were some terrific ideas which we can compile and explore further as we go along. Everyone was immersed in their drawings and were very quiet. Obviously there was lots of thinking happening!

We finished by looking at some images so the students could start to see the wide use of materials and design ideas out there. From emergency shelters, green roofs, tent structures and unusual sculpture.

There were some very insightful comments. For example, in response to a white room, how does it make you feel, how does it affect your mood, the answers where:

"it is cold"

"you can't see the shadows on the wall as it is white".

Amongst other things we looked at buildings made with recycled bottles:

"They are just like stain glass windows"

One student pointed out that even though one building didn't have any windows at the bottom it still was very light as there was a skylight.

Session 3

A great session today with lots of investigation and questions! We looked at materials, their properties, where they come from and what you can use them for. I brought in some samples from our office and these were used to open up the discussion further.

We had the students tell us lots of different types of materials and these were written down on flashcards. We split the students into 3 groups and gave each table a set of cards. In their groups. they discussed the materials and what they could use them for. Are they for walls, or floors or both? Are they used for the structure etc? They sorted the materials into categories, are they recyclable or not? Are they soft, hard, flexible, fire resistant? One of the Prep students pointed out that:

"There was a fire in Mt Waverley so we need to make the cubby out of something that doesn't burn"

They identified if they can be used internally or externally with some students doing some interior decorating putting different materials together and choosing which colours go with which! 

We discussed plastic and steel in particular and got down to the nitty gritty as to where they come from, how are they made. Some of the comments thrown around included:

"Why don't we stop drilling oil and just recycle? We can stop drilling for a month and recycle for a month?"

"You still have to wash the bottles to recycle them so you are using up water"

The students were given the task for the next couple of weeks to explore the materials around them, inquire, think about what the materials are made from, are they recycled etc.

 

(We're still finalising photo permission forms for Wooranna Park students, then we'll post the photos)

We've loved reading about the process and we CAN'T WAIT to SEE it!

Warringa Park School

Architect Fiona Gray's updates:

Session 1: Tuesday 24^th April

We began the session by watching a short ABC children’s video called Take on Technology: Cubby houses, which introduced the children to what an architect does, the concepts of plan and scale, and how a cubby can be built.

After the video the students were all keen to start building a cubby immediately but we talked about how we need to do a lot of thinking and planning before we start to build (NB: The school has committed to building the project). We discussed the difference between what an architect and a builder does and how they need to work together to produce the final product.

I showed the students a set of architectural construction drawings for a real house and then the students were given a pile of old architectural plans to cut up and create their own dream homes using a combination of collage and drawing.

After recess we began the next session by working through a powerpoint presentation that showed the students what a cubby could be.  Lots of images were presented that showed a myriad of possibilities including architecturally designed cubbies, cubbies made from found objects, tree houses, themed cubbies and cubbies made from unusual materials. The aim was to encourage the students to think outside the square and broaden their understanding of what was possible if they used their imagination.  Grand and crazy ideas were all encouraged.

With the kids inspired we set about writing a ‘client brief’.  Rather than calling it a brief we called it a ‘wishlist’ and discussed how making a list of what we want can help us to design a cubby that meets our needs.   The following is what the students came up with:

What could the cubby be like?

A gingerbread house              A roley-poley house

A ball house                          An i-pad house

A computer house                 A basketball house

A big kids cubby                    A spooky haunted house

A Halloween house                A street house

A Lego house                        Shrek’s house

A rocket house                      A truck cubby

A pumpkin house                   A Mario house

A quiet, relaxing place            An adventure cubby

A Rock’n’roll house                 A circle

A triangle shape                     A Dutch house

A cubby just for two people     Like an engine cylinder

A cubby that can roll around    A candy house

Colourful                                Hawthorn colours

Blue                                       Purple

Yellow and black                      A green roof and black front

Like my house at home            Green to blend into the environment

 

What could the cubby be made of?

Wood                                      Bricks

Bark                                       Plastic

Metal                                      Iron

Glass                                      Food

Lollipops                                 Recycled doors

All sugary foods like ice-cream, jelly beans, candy canes and chocolate with a cherry on top of the icecream

 

What things should the cubby have in it?

Toilets                                     Hand basin

Shower                                   Garage

Lava lamp                               Elevator

Powerpoints                             Kitchen table

Stairs                                      Cushions

Bed                                         Pencils

Pop posters                              Flowers

100 levels                                6 levels

Slide                                       An emergency slide

Ladder                                     Doorbell

Licorice                                    A strawberry plant

A blueberry plant                      A chocolate plant

A gummy bear plant                  A chocolate chimney

Love heart windows                   Different shaped windows

Lock on the door                        Lots of pipes

Games                                      Toys

PS3                                           Big playground

Garden                                      Water fountain

Vernadah                                   A bridge with water under it

Session 2: Tuesday 8^th May

It was a gorgeous, sunny day that presented us with the perfect opportunity to conduct our ‘site analysis’.  First of all we went outside and looked at where the sun was.  It was around 10.00am and the sun was casting strong shadows from the surrounding buildings which was perfect for explaining the concept of orientation.  We used a compass to establish where North was and we drew the sun’s path on the concrete with sidewalk chalk.

The students then took it in turns to use the compass and lead the group to different parts of the school that they thought would be suitable for a cubby house.  We visited three different locations in the school grounds and at each location we discussed what was good and bad about each of them in terms of sun access, protection from wind, views, ease of access, vegetation and existing features.  We spent some time at each location doing drawings of what the students saw and making rubbings of the different textures, patterns and materials we found in each location.

After a break we then compiled all of these drawings and rubbings onto a sheet of paper approx. 4m long and added notes about what we had observed.  The intention is for the site analysis to be pinned up for the students to continue adding to it over the coming weeks by adding things they might find in the school grounds or images they come across that relate to what we discussed during our site analysis.

The students then set to work building model cubbies using resources such as Lego, Struts, Stickle bricks and Log Cabin blocks.  They chose to work individually or in pairs to build whatever type of cubby they liked.  Disaster struck for one student whose elaborate but rather precarious looking cubby tumbled to the ground as the finishing log was added, thereby teaching a tough lesson on structural support.  After a small commotion, he graciously started over, making a much more stable structure the second time around!

Session 1 images:

Session 2 images:

Environmental Education @ Berwick Fields Primary School

Berwick Fields Primary School participated in Eco-Cubby in 2010.

Check out their Environmental Education blog.

The school has created a magnificent wetland (lucky kids!)

Building Connections - Architecture and the Visual Arts

Building Connections is an Architecture resource for New South Wales Secondary Schools developed by the NSW Architects Registration Board and Object: Australian Centre for Design

Building Connections is a multi layered resource aimed at supporting the teaching of architecture units as part of the Visual Arts Syllabus Stage 6. It is divided into 3 parts – the frames, conceptual framework and practice, and focuses on the architecture of six art galleries and museums. It explores the connections between architecture and other art forms, investigating ideas and themes through images, text, artmaking activities and links to other information. 

We think it's an interesting document, parts of which could be adapted for any age group.

Check it out HERE.

The Object learning pages also have some fantastic content - worth a browse.

             

All-a-flurry @ Wooranna Park Primary!

Wooranna Park Primary Session #1 - An update from Architect Harriet Stone: (photos to come)

We had our first session on Monday (30.4.12) I had met with Anthony and the Principal the week before and was taken on a tour of the school. This was great as it gave me a chance to see the facilities and understand a little more about the environment we will be working in. I was really impressed with the creativity of the classrooms and the approach to learning seems really integrated. A very inspiring environment! 

The students that are involved seem to be a great bunch! The group consists of 18 hand picked students ranging from Prep through to Year 6. The children are used to doing combined activities so hopefully it is going to produce some really interesting results and will no doubt assist in informing the design so that the space can be enjoyed by all ages!  

We seemed to cover a lot of ground and spoke about a wide range of concepts. The children had varying levels of understanding of basic concepts with some of the older students having covered some of the topics in their own classes. We spent a little bit of time talking about what an Architect does with questions like "do you have to measure everything?","how many drawings have you done" etc. We discussed the idea of a client and that Architects don't just design houses but hospitals, schools etc. There were lots of questions and a real interest in the process. We also touched on sustainability and what does it mean. We then talked through the concept of site analysis and what types of things we need to look out for, orientation, shade, slope (as this will depend on what construction), existing trees, buildings etc. 

The Principal is keen to build the cubby in a spot out the front of the school as they feel this place is currently under utilised. So based on this we headed outside and had some students with compasses with others documenting with cameras and video. Everyone had a go at sketching a plan of the site while some of the younger kids helped with pacing out the distances in order to draw up a scaled site plan to work off. 

There was lots of sketching and plenty of discussion as to where they thought the cubby should go. As a whole group we talked about why some wanted the cubby in a particular spot, why and why not. Some chose a certain location because they liked the view from there, because the ground was flat, the area was shaded and protected, or it was close to the entrance to the school so everyone could see it and might not be a target for graffiti. 

Back in the classroom we finished with showing a few examples of buildings and looking at how our drawings can inspire creativity and lead to designing great buildings! We also looked at the school on Near Map and everyone identified the areas of the school etc and where the area is that we are going to be working.

From here on we are going to be meeting each Monday of this term from 2-3:30pm. We are planning to run it as an intensive so we will see how we are fairing by the end of term 2 as to what we still need to do in term 3.

Otherwise, all is going well. I really enjoyed meeting everyone and am looking forward to getting to know all of the students and working with them to come up with some exciting ideas! 

A great weekend

A cubby was made @ the Regional Victoria Living Festival - much fun was had!

images by Sarah Bell

Regional Victoria Living Expo

Eco-Cubby will be holding a workshop at the Regional Victoria Living Expo

A free event held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre on the 28th and 29th April - COME ON DOWN!

Camp Hill Primary School is excited!

Melissa Gleisner is the Year 3/4 classroom teacher @ Camp Hill - here's a short update of what is to come from Camp Hill - we too are excited and can't wait to visit!

We've had an initial meeting with Karl (our Architect) and took him for a tour of our school. He was able to have a good look at the site. He returned the next day at lunchtime and enjoyed watching all the kids playing in the cubby corner. He was impressed by the fact that they are so creative with limited resources - the children bring sheets from home and use rocks and logs to create 'shops'. He also enjoyed seeing the currency used by the children in their shops - gum nuts! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Karl is returning to work with 30 Grade 3/4 students at the beginning of Term 2 and we have been preparing by reading the book 'Iggy Peck Architect' and doing some sketches of our school buildings. Our integrated unit of study this term is: "It's not easy being green..." and the children will be looking at sustainability and the environment which fits in beautifully.

photos of the cubby corner @ Camp Hill

Colbinabbin Primary School

Here's a report by Architects Ged and Ang about their very productive afternoon at the school:

29.02.2012

First Visit to Colbinabbin Primary School - We arrived just before lunch time we were able to watch the students eat lunch then play. Unfortunately the weather prevented the students playing on the oval and part of the yard was out of bounds due to paper wasps! This confined the students to a large concrete area close to the school. As it was a Wednesday, early in the term, the preps (4 students) were not at school. Interestingly, the entire school (30 students) played together.

We also had a wander around the school and noticed a few of the older students had built a cubby from tarps and bits and pieces they had found lying around. This was located next to the vegetable patch and creek. The creek has been flooding frequently lately, leaving the vegetable patch fairly empty. Additionally, the flooding has been known to cover the oval and reach the school.

After lunch the school came into one class and together brainstormed the things they would like to see in their cubby. These started off as mostly play equipment however also included suggestions such as raising the cubby to allow flood water to flow underneath and having a large veranda. Some students would also like to see some chooks and the existing vegetable gardens tied in.

Moving on from this brainstorm Ged drew a rough site plan on the white board and labelled a number of spots around the school. We then asked the students to vote on each spot with the winning spot being the same place as the existing cubby, next to the creek and vegetable gardens.

Building on this we went back to our brainstorming to refine the key ideas that should be included as a brief. The main requirements of the cubby include;
- Needs to accommodate 34 people
- 2 spaces - relax and play
- Take advantage of views
- Conserve water
- Generate power
- Built up off ground (1.2m)
- Slide/rope /pole for escaping
- Blinds or veranda to protect from sun
- Relate to veggie garden
- Possible chooks
- Sun dial

Recently the students have been drawing their dream cubbies and we then gave them time to either go back to these drawings or start again based on the brainstorming. Most students wished to start again and many incorporated "eco" ideas that they had been discussing in class as well as the refined ideas we had discussed on the day.

At this stage most students are not thinking too much about materials - Ms MacLean is yet to talk about sustainable materials. We will send her a little bit of information regarding thermal mass, embodied energy, embodied water, reduce, reuse, recycle etc. The school is familiar with reusing existing structures for purposes other than their original intended use. This is evident in the extra shed they have bought which was originally a shipping container.

Afterwards we also raised the idea of growing the walls of the cubby along wire - like the grape vines common to the region. We also mentioned using/moving one of the existing shade structures, that is rarely used, to the site. We also showed the students some architectural models including one based on MVRDV where buildings are designed to have changing purposes throughout their life cycle. We then discussed the facades of banks through different eras and the way architecture changes styles like fashion.

In the time between visits, the older students will measure the site as part of their maths class. Some students will also be modelling in Google sketch up for their IT classes.

Architecture magazine for children -- Amag--

We've found an interesting magazine - Amag. Amag is an online Architecture magazine for children.

Amag is a building material, as well as a game, and a research tool. Children learn about architecture, playing with the pages of the magazine.

Amag consists of  articles: A4 for download, print and play. Each article is created by an author or team. All of them are specialist on architecture education for children and youth, or art professionals related to children.

take a look at the website HERE