Learning By Design Programs are sprouting up all across the country! A few years back the architects involved with AIANH decided it was time to join the effort. They began by bringing a design program to our fourth grade classes. Master Teacher from the Boston Society of Architect's Learning By Design Program, Polly Carpenter, AIA, assisted us with the creation of the Shoebox Clubhouse program here in New Hampshire.

As we moved forward we instituted Walking Tours and Box City Programs. And now we have started a new initiative – a high school design competition. Please click the links above to find out about each program and how you can participate.

Shoebox Clubhouse: In 2004, we launched our first program with thirty-six design professionals who led eighteen NH fourth grade classes in a design exercise to "Design a Shoebox Clubhouse." The design professionals volunteered to teach a three class session with the end result being the creation of a "Shoebox Clubhouse"created by each child! Students selected their own shoeboxes and designed their own clubhouses! Each child's imagination and passion directed the result. There were clubhouses for ski teams, soccer teams, girl scout troops, and many other purposes the children came up with!

This class is structured to give children an outlet for their imagination and to develop the skills of measuring, model building, and spatial understanding. The goals for this program for AIANH are the following:

to engage children in architectural awareness and design projects with architects and designers to support educators who engage children in interdisciplinary, curriculum-based architectural awareness projects to give children the opportunity and skills to communicate ideas about their built and natural environments

If you are a fourth-grade teacher interested in this program for your class, call Carolyn Isaak at the AIA office, (603) 357-2863 or fill out and return the attached form. We will get in touch with you.

Program Partner and Sponsor: Public Service Company of NH

  

Walking Tours: Neighborhood Walking Tours are a self-discovery program for students and teachers. During the course of this program, students tour their home and school neighborhoods and ultimately, the neighborhood which represents their city. A workbook is developed by AIANH volunteers and the classroom teacher of activities that would guide the students to an understanding of the architectural design, city/planning and people processes which influence how our cities work.

In this program, students use the visual history book of the city, its buildings and streets, to learn about their own communities. During their study of the city, they will learn history, geography, science and art. They practice skills: reading, writing, arithmetic, communications, and technology. They ultimately learn about the issues and challenges which face our cities: preservation, new technology, growth, safety, planning for the future.

When the workbook is complete, participants will have a very personalized journal of their travels through the discovery of their own cities and neighborhoods. The Neighborhood Walking Tours approach gives students a way to look at and evaluate buildings, neighborhoods, and cities and to become advocates for a better build environment.

The Neighborhood Walking Tours program puts in the hands of educators a very specific and manageable approach to discovering the built environment. The student and educator become a part of the process, thus making the experience a personalized one for each school, each neighborhood, and each city.

If you are a fourth grade teacher interested in this program and willing to help develop the workbook based on your community, please fill out a registration form. We will get in touch with you once the form is received.

  

Box City Our Box City program is an inspiring event that simply must be seen to be believed. Box Ciy is an interdisciplinary program in which single grades or whole schools work together to design and build a scale-model town from the ground up. Children answer the question "What makes a good city?" and learn how they can participate in improving their built and natural environments. AIANH architects and volunteers coordinate the event and oversee the program.

If you are interested in having the Box City program at your school, please contact the AIANH office.

  

Introduction to Architecture: This six-week introduction to Architecture course includes presentations by architects, interior designers, and high performance building experts to provide a knowledge base for this hands-on student project. Students conceive an interior design scheme for spaces within their school as they learn about the design process: document and demonstrate their knowledge of existing physical surroundings; identify needs through programming; complete sketching and modeling exercises; and select environmentally friendly materials and finishes. The process gives students the opportunity and skills they need to communicate their ideas about the built environment. Offered only two times per year. Please contact the AIANH office for more information.

 

High School Design Competition: The New Hampshire education curriculum framework states: "We live in a three dimensional world. To interpret, understand, and appreciate that world, students need to develop an understanding for space." During a child's twelve years in school, a broad goal of the NH education curriculum framework is for "students to develop special senses."

Architects agree that this sensory development is very important to becoming a fully productive member of our society. And it can be a lot of fun.

Our new high school design competition consists of designing a specific project, and a generic site plan will be provided. Objectives of the program are to increase awareness of the relationships between space, human scale and function; gain experience in recognizing the various challenges in planning and designing indoor and outdoor spaces for specific uses; exercise analytical abilities and creativity in solving the problems; and gain experience in communicating planning and design ideas using scale drawings and models.

Teachers are encouraged to use the competition as part of their class curriculum. Students and teachers interested in participating in the program should contact our Executive Director, Carolyn Isaak, Executive Director, AIANH by September 30, 2008. Entries will be due June 2009.
1. Education objectives, program, site, time-table and awards information.
2. Competition BInder