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Burdens Environmental supports Be an Eco-Architect Workshop
Tyneside, June 2008 was “buzzing” with people participating in a series of events supporting Northern Architecture’s ‘Festival of Architecture’. One such event was the “Be an Eco-Architect” workshop, which offered two days of fun and learning for children of primary school age. The Ouseburn Farm, which is an urban farm within the historic industrial heart of the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne, was the base for these workshops.
Basic architecture skills were taught and information shared about the eco-building materials that are becoming increasingly used in building construction. Teresa Strachan, who runs her own environmental education business, led the workshops. Several architecture students from Newcastle University also offered their support to the workshops over the two days and amazed the children with their enthusiasm for and knowledge of the subject.
The aim of the workshops was to give school children, within the 9 – 11 year age group, the opportunity to find out what architects and town planners do, what skills they use in their jobs and also to consider the increasing need to use eco-building materials in their designs. Part of the morning was spent explaining the importance of a number of new eco-building materials that had kindly been supplied by sustainable companies across the UK, including Burdens Environmental. The children, who were from two local primary schools, began to develop their knowledge of what each of the materials could do towards reducing climate change through better insulation, or improved water management.
Following a session that involved the pupils learning how to use a scale rule by measuring plans for a local development site, local buildings were visited to see how different building materials were used in their design and construction. The afternoon was dedicated to creating designs for a new eco- village on the local development site. The children were encouraged to incorporate into their designs some of the new eco-building materials that they had been learning about and to annotate their drawings to explain how the materials would be used. Many designs included areas of landscaping and green roofs, as well as eco-friendly forms of insulation and ‘green’ transport to get in and out of the village. Their designs were truly innovative and sustainable, reflecting the knowledge that they had acquired over the earlier part of the workshop. All participants appeared to be having fun whilst learning that architects and planners have a serious challenge to combat climate change in their building designs and town layouts.
The workshops would not have been possible without the invaluable support of the students from Newcastle University, the facilities provided by the Ouseburn Farm, Northern Architecture’s promotional literature and the generous suppliers of the various eco-building materials, including Burdens Environmental.
For more information about the Burdens Environmental range of eco-building materials please browse our web site or contact us . And for further details regarding “Be an Eco-Architect” workshops please contact Teresa Strachan; info@teresastrachan.co.uk
The Rise in Eco-Building Materials
Basic architecture skills were taught and information shared about the eco-building materials that are becoming increasingly used in building construction. Teresa Strachan, who runs her own environmental education business, led the workshops. Several architecture students from Newcastle University also offered their support to the workshops over the two days and amazed the children with their enthusiasm for and knowledge of the subject.
An Insight into Architects and Town Planners
The aim of the workshops was to give school children, within the 9 – 11 year age group, the opportunity to find out what architects and town planners do, what skills they use in their jobs and also to consider the increasing need to use eco-building materials in their designs. Part of the morning was spent explaining the importance of a number of new eco-building materials that had kindly been supplied by sustainable companies across the UK, including Burdens Environmental. The children, who were from two local primary schools, began to develop their knowledge of what each of the materials could do towards reducing climate change through better insulation, or improved water management.
Lesson in Eco-building Materials & Building Design
Following a session that involved the pupils learning how to use a scale rule by measuring plans for a local development site, local buildings were visited to see how different building materials were used in their design and construction. The afternoon was dedicated to creating designs for a new eco- village on the local development site. The children were encouraged to incorporate into their designs some of the new eco-building materials that they had been learning about and to annotate their drawings to explain how the materials would be used. Many designs included areas of landscaping and green roofs, as well as eco-friendly forms of insulation and ‘green’ transport to get in and out of the village. Their designs were truly innovative and sustainable, reflecting the knowledge that they had acquired over the earlier part of the workshop. All participants appeared to be having fun whilst learning that architects and planners have a serious challenge to combat climate change in their building designs and town layouts.
The workshops would not have been possible without the invaluable support of the students from Newcastle University, the facilities provided by the Ouseburn Farm, Northern Architecture’s promotional literature and the generous suppliers of the various eco-building materials, including Burdens Environmental.
For more information about the Burdens Environmental range of eco-building materials please browse our web site or contact us . And for further details regarding “Be an Eco-Architect” workshops please contact Teresa Strachan; info@teresastrachan.co.uk