Models from Smeaton and Napoleons Primary Schools are on display in the foyer of the DEECD Regional Office, 109 Armstrong Street Ballarat 17 November - 17 december.
If you're in the area pop in and have a look at the fantastic work the children have done with their architects!
Mud pies, or in this case mud bricks were the order of the day at Napoleons. The students have access to a huge wood working space in the back shed where they get to saw and hammer and file and gennerally have lots of fun! Today the children went to work mixing clay and straw to make mini mud bricks for their cubby model. They are experimenting with the mud bricks and using mini handmade moulds. Their design incorporates a recycled timber frame infilled in part with mud brick walls.
In groups of mixed ages, the students worked well together and the more capable among them supported the younger ones. It was a pleasure to observe their enthusiastic engagement in this fun and messy activity!
The girls and their vice!
Building Designer Darren Bowman helps out with a solar panel.
adding a support to the curved roof
clay and sand ready to mix up
innovative use of old voting booths!
grubby and fun!
Here's an update from Darren Bowman - Building Designer, working with Napoleons Primary School:
At the end of Term two Trevor and I presented a background class on sustainability principles and sustainable building. The 15 children in our Eco-Cubby group were enthusiastic and very 'switched-on'. We let the kids provide a lot of the information and their knowledge and ability to learn really impressed me! All of the kids have started their own journals and plans were made to prepare a class PowerPoint presentation as we progress.
In our first class for Term three I presented a slideshow with images of houses from around the world, including historic Norse sod-roofed houses, some using 'alternative' materials and some typical local houses - both old and new. I got the kids to point out sustainable design features and materials as we went. Quick learners! After the break we created a project brief from the information already gathered. This 'wish-list' determined what was required in the way of siting of our Eco-Cubby'. With this fresh in our minds we went outside and the kids showed me the existing sustainable features of the school. These included solar panels, water tanks, a frog bog, veggie garden and compost bin. The kids already have a good understanding of the benefits of these systems. The school is also involved in tree planting and we identified areas that are earmarked for future planting.Our goal was to establish a site for Eco-Cubby by site analysis. We were able to determine a possible site that is located close to the Eastern boundary of the school and sheltered by a trees on a neighboring site to the east. The site has good solar access and is located close to the existing veggie garden and playground.
Locating north with a compass
Students with the school solar panels
At the veggie patch
Site analysis
