Chippindale - Trust Annual Report 1999
Chippindale Venture
We undertook a modified Venture spread over six weeks at Olivers Battery School with children from Year 6, that is, age range ten to eleven.
The scheme was modified as we were only able to get three architect volunteers to look after about thirty children, so the event did not have such a high profile as normal. Nevertheless the exercise proved successful, helped as always by enthusiastic children who developed some interesting schemes.
The children had to develop a junior common room for themselves. They had to decide what their requirements would be, whether it should be linked to the school and how the landscape could be used to complement the scheme. Each team came up with some imaginative ideas. They also came to realise that solving such problems needs a disciplined approach! They recognised that they had to be aware of neighbours but at the same time mould their schemes to the sites they selected, as well as relating the new building to existing school buildings. The end results may not have been quite so polished as the well-staffed projects we normally run, but the children seemed to derive a great deal of satisfaction from the project. They had to learn quickly to work as a team, and after a few initial difficulties each team managed to sort itself out to produce some imaginative results.
Chippindale Workshop — Kings School
This year's Workshop took place at a private school in Fair Oak. It was the first time that Chippindale had been involved with teams from the full range of pupils aged eleven to eighteen.
The brief to the teams was to consider planning a new wing to their school consisting of two classrooms, a computer suite and a small outside theatre. A further twist was put into the brief by indicating the extension was likely to be let to the general public in holiday periods, so that some of the internal spaces could double for other uses. The children were given about six hours to produce ideas and models. Much to everybody's surprise the schemes from the ten teams of six students came together successfully. Each team made a presentation of its scheme to a critique panel.
We should like to thank everyone who takes part in these school programmes. Judging by their reactions when presenting their work, the children derive a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction from the process. In turn the architects, planners and landscape architects who lead the teams also enjoy seeing their teams resolving problems and evolving ideas. It appears to be a two-way fulfilling process!