As part of the RIBA's National Schools Programme, four RIBA Architecture Ambassador partnerships took place in Nottingham city during the 2021 summer term. The ambassadors were the first visitors many of the students had seen in school in over 18 months and their delight to work together and meet new people was evident. 205 pupils took part in total with 29 hours of workshops delivered overall.
The ambassador programme is part of the RIBA's National Schools Programme that brings together architecture professionals and schools, helping young people to explore and understand the built environment.
The following partnerships took place in Nottingham:
- James Lawn (Gravity Design UK) and Dovecote Primary school
- Ariel Benson (T.A.D Architects) and Westglade Primary School
- Georgina Henwood (Urban Fabric Architects) and Haydn Primary
- Matthew Vicary (RD Architects) and Southglade Primary
Workshop themes included Greek mythology, master planning, sustainability, and Anglo-Saxons.
All of the schools involved have asked to repeat the workshops next year.
One teacher observed: "It gave them a great insight into what it might be like to be an architect. It was inspiring and at the end, all pupils said that they wanted to become architects!"
A further workshop is planned for the autumn term and will be delivered by Maber Architects in a local secondary school.
