Project aims to inspire next generation of architects and designers

Undergraduate and postgraduate students from the University’s architecture courses will be working with local schools and other community groups developing ideas for improving the entry to their buildings.

The project is intended to both raise participants’ awareness of design practice while working alongside university students, and as a way for university students to participate in civic agendas in the wider community.

Bob Brown, Head of Architecture at Plymouth University, said: “We hope this initiative will inspire our students and the school pupils, and such projects offer a very fertile ground for learning about design (architectural) practice. They equally provide a valuable challenge to simply accepting the built environment as a given, and reveal the potential that architects/designers and the wider community can play in bringing about positive change.”

The project will take place over two days, on January 10 and 11, with the pupils or community groups teaming up with University students to design a new entrance for their schools or community building.

They will have to carry out a consultation and site analysis, taking into account the requirements of building users and the design’s impact on its locality.

Each team will then draw up a design proposal, which should celebrate the identity of the school while addressing other issues such as security, mobility access and means of escape.

They will also make a final presentation, with drawings and a scale model, that will form part of an exhibition in Crosspoint in the Roland Levinsky Building. The projects will be reviewed by architecture staff from the University and other bodies, with prizes for the winners.

Andrew Mouat, Executive Officer in the School of Architecture, Design and Environment, added: “This competition is a great opportunity for us to expand our work with the local community, and we look forward to seeing the eye-catching designs the students and pupils come up with. It is also a chance for our students to work in partnership with the community, something they will obviously have to do throughout their future careers.”

Plymouth University offers Architecture courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, with current and recent students going on to work in a range of careers in the built environment such as planning, urban design, landscape architecture, interior design, graphic design.