FINAL DAY OF CREATION
The class started out in a traditional classroom on the first floor of the Knowlton School of Architecture. A popsicle stick with a recycled fabric cut out as a flower were placed on each student’s desk. This was a souvenir each person got to take home and hopefully become inspired by this exciting opportunity.
A PowerPoint Presentation introducing vocabulary on principles of sustainability on a middle-school level of appropriateness. Simple and fun images filled with color represented each slide brought enthusiasm and energy into the lesson.
A was designed to display major categories of sustainability: Energy, Materials, Sun and Water. Each theme displayed mixed-media materials as self-explanatory to learn and envision, while listening to the slideshow presentation.
The best part was when all of the students got to race out of the classroom and dash into the halls to experience going through the famous multi-levels of ramps, balconies, terraces, and narrow platforms that magnificiently weave in and out of those spaces. Exhaustly, but excitedly the young, happy students got to choose their favorite stools and tables and get ready for part 2 of the workshop (and also because it was a Friday!).
Next, two generic dollhouses made out of cardboard were the topic of the exercise. Teams were split into two. Tons of recycled materials were scattered all over the studio tables. They were given a “green” checklist listing all of the sustainable things they need to show using recycled materials either inside or outside of the “house”.
They were to turn the house into a “green” house.
Amazingly, the students enjoyed themselves by learning how to make furniture and wallpaper using recycled materials. They also enjoyed following a simple checklist. Lots of neon green was carried throughout the project, since it was the students favorite color and it represented exactly what the lesson was all about.
They enjoyed this class so much that they invited me to their “graduation” ceremony and luncheon with their parents!
See attached photos of both “green” houses.
(see attached letter of ref. name protected for privacy.)
Design Journalist 