Creating a Visual Brief for your Schools Facade

Architecture + Design Scotland | Smarter Places | Activity Pack

Activity Pack Creating a visual brief for your school’s façade An interdisciplinary project covering Curriculum for Excellence Experiences + Outcomes in: • • • • •

Social Studies Expressive Arts Technologies Literacy Health and Wellbeing

www.smarterplaces.org

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Contents

Introduction 04 About this pack 05 Using the pack 07 The participation process 08 14 19 25 32

Workshops Workshop 1 – Understanding the context Workshop 2 – Developing ideas Workshop 3 – Public art possibilities Workshop 4 – Lighting aspirations Workshop 5 – Presenting proposals

37 Next steps 39 Case study examples

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Introduction

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Introduction About this pack

This activity pack is designed for teachers and facilitators. It comprises five workshops, which aim to enable a participant group to investigate and analyse their school’s façade and generate a set of considered ideas to take forward for the improvement of the school’s frontage.

You might use the activity pack to make the most of your existing school or as part of a larger school redesign and build project.

In addition to delivering Curriculum for Excellence through active learning in a reallife context, students will develop a critical awareness of the relationships between people and the built environment, exploring emotional, social and cultural ideas towards designing change in public spaces.

Tasks are designed for secondary students but can be adapted for different learning styles and ages.

Workshops have been trialed with a group of participants from Shawlands Academy in Glasgow and 3 case studies have been included within the pack to help illustrate certain aspects of the workshop process using real-life examples.

The ultimate task for the pupils is to speculate on possible outcomes for the design of their school’s façade and, in so doing, to identify key issues for an architect, designer or artist to explore further.

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Introduction Using the pack

Workshop structure The pack is made up of five workshops and each workshop is made up of several activities. Activities combine individual and group tasks in order to scaffold the learning experiences for pupils.

The workshops are designed to suit a group of twelve secondary students and to take about two hours each. Approximate timings are given for each activity and sessions can be adapted to suit different ages and group sizes.

Feel free to tailor and adapt the activities – you may want to interchange them, miss some out or add some in, however we suggest you read the entire pack to obtain an overview of the participation process.

Project Output The suggested output from this set of workshops is a visual brief which collates the students’ visual information boards from the final workshop and extracts the main ideas and concepts they have generated for the school’s façade. You can find out more about this in the case study section on page 36.

Key

Estimated time

Overall workshop aim Workshop resources Resources for workshops have been organised into essential and optional categories to enable sessions to go ahead using a basic or enhanced selection of materials, depending on availability.

If possible, students should each be given a small A5 sketchbook to use to complete their workshop tasks and to note down any ideas they have specific to the project.

Curriculum for Excellence Experiences and Outcomes Activities have been assigned curricular links to aid teachers with their lesson planning and in determining appropriate experiences and outcomes. Please note that these are not exclusive and that other experiences and outcomes might also be relevant.

Learning intention

Activities

Curriculum links

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Introduction Using the pack

Case study: Who was involved in the Shawlands Academy project?

The Shawlands School Gate Project was developed by Glasgow City Council, Shawlands and Strathbungo Community Council, Shawlands Academy and Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS), as part of the Shawlands Town Centre Action Plan.

As part of the project, the workshops explored the idea of using public art and lighting to transform the school’s façade and go part of the way to helping the surrounding streetscape change into an attractive, safe route into Shawlands.

A+DS organised the workshops in conjunction with the school and commissioned a visual artist and lighting designer to help support the facilitation of the sessions.

Workshop participants included a group of nine sixth year Advanced Higher Art and Design students alongside three members of the schools’ eco-committee from the first year. The workshops fitted into the sixth year student’s double art period, once a week for five weeks. The first year students were granted permission to attend the workshop sessions instead of their timetabled lessons.

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Introduction The participation process Good consultation means better outcomes – engaging with, consulting and involving all the potential users and interests helps to highlight expectations, identify the options and refine the objectives.

(Building Better Schools, Scottish Government, 2008) In accordance with this principle, the A+DS Schools Programme works alongside school users with the aim of engaging them in the design of changes to their school buildings and grounds and enabling them to have a considered and meaningful input into the participation process.

As well as a method for helping to effectively achieve learning environments, which meet the needs of the new Curriculum for Excellence, the participation process is also a vehicle through which Curriculum for Excellence can be delivered.

The workshops within this pack are based on a four-stage process:

1. What have we got? What can we learn from our current façade? Having a thorough understanding of the current school site, how students use the space and how they feel about it helps to identify what works and what doesn’t.

2. What’s possible? This stage raises users’ aspirations for what is possible.

Looking at inspiring examples of other buildings with interesting facades.

3. What do we need? Generating ideas for the frontage – at this stage students need to be made aware that they are not creating a wish list of everything they want and instead to think about how they’d like the façade to feel and what they’d like it to represent.

4. What is most important? Reviewing all previous work and ideas and prioritising the most important ideas as a group.

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Workshop 1 Understanding the context Estimated time 120 minutes Overall workshop aim To develop an aesthetic understanding of the school building, as it currently exists, with reference to its location, surroundings, function and use.

Activities 1.1 Paper sculptures 1.2 Drawings 1.3 Words 1.4 Buildings

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Workshop 1

Activity 1.1 Paper sculptures Estimated time 30 minutes Curriculum links Literacy: Tools for listening and talking Learning intention To generate as many diverse paper forms as possible and to discuss which are the most effective and why.

Resources Essential: A4 paper Optional: Digital cameras Black background paper (if taking photos)

Tasks Using single sheets of A4 paper, ask participants to fold, scrunch and tear to create as many new forms as possible in five minutes.

Discuss the sculptural forms created: • What are the most common forms?

• Which stand out?

• What would happen if the scale was changed and the sculptures were the height of a building?

Evidence Paper sculptures Digital images of paper sculptures (optional)

• What might happen with the addition of pattern, texture, or colour?

• How might different surroundings affect the sculpture?

If you have access to a digital camera, photograph the paper sculptures against the black paper.

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Workshop 1

Activity 1.2 Drawings Estimated time 60 minutes Curriculum links Social Studies: People, place and environment Expressive Arts: Art and Design Learning intention To familiarise students with the detail of the building frontage and to encourage them to draw more freely.

Resources Essential: Sketchbooks Pencils, pens, charcoal Digital cameras (enough for one per 3 to 4 students)

Evidence Sketchbook entries of line drawings Digital images

Tasks Working outside, ask students to observe and record the front of the school building using different techniques:

• Continuous line drawing (not taking the pencil off the page) • Drawing with your other hand

• Speed sketching (3 minutes drawing, 2 minutes drawing, 1 minute drawing & 30 seconds drawing) • Drawing without looking at the paper • Drawing the negative spaces (not drawing the lines which form an object but drawing the shapes between the lines)

Students should be invited to use a variety of line drawing materials e.g. pencils, pens and charcoal. Students should also take digital photographs of both the whole of the school frontage and details, taking in the physical surroundings, materials, colours and sense of scale. If digital camera numbers are limited, share 1 camera per 3 to 4 students and pass round group.

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Workshop 1

Activity 1.3 Words Estimated time 20 minutes Curriculum links Literacy: Finding and using information Health and Wellbeing: Social wellbeing Learning intention To explore how the current façade makes the students feel and how they’d like it to feel in the future.

Resources Essential: Sketchbooks

Tasks In their sketchbooks, ask students to write a list of words about how the school made them feel on their first day at school: Our building made me feel…

Evidence Ideas about how students feel about the façade

Then, ask them to write a list of words that describes what they hope to feel about the future school frontage: Our school frontage will be...

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Workshop 1

Activity 1.4 Buildings (homework study) Estimated time 10 minutes Curriculum links Expressive Arts: Art and Design Technologies: ICT to enhance learning Learning intention To investigate an inspiring façade and to think about what makes the chosen example interesting and why?

Resources Essential: Cards with specific buildings and their architects on them (suggestions listed on the next page) Tasks Before workshop: Prepare a list of inspiring façades and write them on separate cards for students to choose from. Be sure to choose a mix of local/national and international examples as well as picking buildings which perform different functions (see suggestions on next page).

Evidence Ideas about how students feel about the façade

During workshop: Students choose ‘blind’ from the cards containing the names of the inspiring facades.

Homework task (should take approximately 30mins, to be finished before Workshop Two): In sketchbooks undertake some personal research of the selected topic.

Collect images and information in relation to the following:

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Workshop 1

Activity 1.4 Buildings (homework study) • • • • • •

Who designed it?

Who uses the building?

Where is it?

What is interesting about it?

Materials?

Personal opinions – what do you like or dislike about it?

This information will contribute to a presentation in Workshop Two.

Antoni Gaudi Casa Mila, Barcelona, Spain Frank Gehry Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao; Dancing House, Prague; Maggie Centre, Dundee Thomas Heatherwick East Beach Café, United Kingdom; UK Pavilion Shanghai 2010 Expo; The Boiler House, Guys Hospital, London

Suggested architects and buildings: Jean Nouvel L’institut Du Monde Arabe, Paris; The Copenhagen Concert Hall Renzo Piano Jean Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Noumea, New Caledonia; NeMo, Amsterdam Renzo Piano/ Richard Rodgers Pompidou Centre, Paris Zaha Hadid MAXXI National Museum, Rome; Riverside Museum of Transport, Glasgow Rem Koolhaas CCTV Headquarters, Beijing, China; The Educatorium Utrecht, Netherlands Le Corbusier Notre Dame Du Haut, Ronchamp, France Louis Khan National Assembly Building, Dahka, Bangladesh

Ned Khan Wind Silos International Trade Centre, North Carolina, USA Frank Lloyd Wright Falling Water, Pennsylvania, USA; Ennis House, Los Angeles, USA Bill Dunster ZED Factory, (Zero Energy Development), London, UK dRMM Clapham Manor Primary School, London Herzog & de Meuron Beijing National Stadium, China ALSOP Architects Peckham Library, London REID Architects (now 3DReid) Air Traffic Control Tower, Farnbourgh Airport, UK Gillespie, Kidd & Coia St Peter’s Seminary, Cardross, UK

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Workshop 2 Developing ideas

Estimated time 120 minutes Overall workshop aim To understand two-dimensional visual research and visual investigation as tools for critical thinking and problem-solving.

Activities 2.1 Inspire 2.2 Record 2.3 Initial ideas

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Workshop 2

Activity 2.1 Inspire Estimated time 60 minutes Curriculum links Literacy: Tools for listening and talking Health and Wellbeing: Social wellbeing Learning intention To share students’ individual façade investigations with the group and to see a number of different interesting façades from around the world.

Resources Essential: Sketchbooks PowerPoint presentation of inspiring facades Optional: Projector/screen/laptop (if equipment is not available you could print images of chosen buildings and hand them round the group) Tasks See next page

Evidence Collaborative presentation

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Workshop 2

Activity 2.1 Inspire Tasks Before the workshop: Create a PowerPoint presentation of buildings listed in Workshop One. During the workshop: Go through the series of buildings from the presentation – students are invited to contribute to the presentation through sharing what they have learned about their particular building/architect when it appears on the screen.

You may want to discuss: Building design, landscaping, space, site-specific considerations, materials, lighting, technology

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Workshop 2

Activity 2.2 Record Estimated time 25 minutes Curriculum links Social Studies: People, place and environment Expressive Arts: Art and Design Learning intention To reflect on a couple of aspects of the frontage and how students feel about them. To begin to think about changes that could take place to the frontage.

Resources Essential: Printed photographs of school frontage (from Workshop One) Sketchbooks Drawing materials Glue/Scissors Tasks Before workshop: Print photos that students took in Activity 1.2 during Workshop One. During workshop: Individually, students select five or more photos from those taken in Workshop One and stick them in their sketchbook.

Note down what information can be found

Evidence Sketchbook entries with annotated photographs

in the image (texture, materials, function) and reasons for selection.

You may want to discuss: Which aspects students have chosen and why?

How can the images be used to highlight an issue regarding the school frontage?

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Workshop 2

Activity 2.3 Initial ideas Estimated time 35 minutes Curriculum links Expressive Arts: Art and Design Learning intention To generate initial ideas for the school’s frontage.

Resources Essential: Tracing paper Drawing materials Photographs of school frontage

Evidence Series of sketches

Tasks Using tracing paper, participants outline an image of the school frontage. They could use a photo of the school or Google Maps Streetview to help them to do this.

Students should quickly sketch different ideas for changing the design of the school frontage. Take a fresh piece of tracing paper for each idea.

You may want to discuss: Why students have chosen their ideas?

How might these ideas address or highlight the issues raised?

Above: Students’ initial ideas for changing Shawlands Academy’s façade.

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Workshop 3 Possibility thinking

Estimated time 120 minutes Overall workshop aim To understand three-dimensional research as a tool for critical thinking and problemsolving, exploring the concept of public art in architectural design.

Activities 3.1 Think 3.2 Make 3.3 Document

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Workshop 3

Activity 3.1 Think Estimated time 30 minutes Curriculum links Literacy: Tools for listening and talking Health and Wellbeing: Social Wellbeing Learning intention To raise students’ aspirations by investigating a variety of local, national and international public art projects.

Resources Essential: Sketchbooks PowerPoint Presentation of inspiring public art projects Glue/Scissors Optional: Projector/screen/laptop – if equipment is not available you could print images of chosen projects and hand them round the group Tasks See next page

Evidence Agreed focus/theme for models

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Workshop 3

Activity 3.1 Think Tasks Before the workshop: Create a PowerPoint presentation of examples of inspiring pieces of public art.

During the workshop: Divide participants into creative design teams and ask them to agree a name for each design collective.

Suggested artists: • • • • • • • •

Andy Goldsworthy Rachel Whiteread Banksy Robert Indiana Thomas Heatherwick Andy Scott Anthony Gormley Anish Kapoor

Show the prepared PowerPoint presentation of diverse public art projects Ask students to create a list of words describing aspirations for public art integrated with the school frontage design in their sketchbooks.

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Workshop 3

Activity 3.2 Make Estimated time 50 minutes Curriculum links Literacy: Tools for listening and talking Social Studies: People in society, economy and business Expressive Arts: Art and Design Learning intention To explore one public art design for the school frontage in a 3D format.

Resources Essential: Model making materials: art straws, plasticine, stiff card, pipe cleaners and any other appropriate materials you have.

Glue guns, making tape.

Scissors and craft knives.

Simple cardboard models of the school’s frontage Tasks See next page

Evidence Models of public art ideas

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Workshop 3

Activity 3.2 Make Tasks Before the workshop: Prepare a basic model of the school for each design team, using thick card (see example in image below)

During the workshop: Using the materials supplied, each design team creates and models a public artwork for the school frontage.

In sketchbooks, students write a paragraph about their model (decisions made, influences, materials scale etc).

Above: Students from Shawlands Academy modelling public art ideas for the school’s façade.

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Workshop 3

Activity 3.3 Document Estimated time 40 minutes Curriculum links Expressive Arts: Art and Design Learning intention To record the public art designs.

Resources Essential: Public Art models from Activity 3.2 Digital cameras (minimum 1, ideally 1 per design team) Work and images from Workshops One & Two Optional: Printer

Evidence Photographs

Tasks Participants take digital photographs of the following:

used for the final workshop.

• Models placed onto the simple model of the school • Models placed with the traced sketches of school frontage ideas • Models, tracings, sketchbook pages, close up photographs arranged with the model of the school These photographs, in addition to previously collected information, create a rich range of reference material that will be

Above: Students’ public art ideas for the school frontage.

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Workshop 4 Lighting aspirations

Estimated time 120 minutes Overall workshop aim To explore examples of lighting as a creative tool for enhancing features or communicating messages and to apply an imaginative lighting approach in the context of the school’s façade.

Activities 4.1 Think 4.2 Experiment 4.3 Document

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Workshop 4

Activity 4.1 Think Estimated time 30 minutes Curriculum links Literacy: Tools for listening and talking; Finding and using information Health and Wellbeing: Social wellbeing Learning intention To raise students’ aspirations by investigating a variety of local, national and international lighting projects and strategies.

Resources Essential: PowerPoint presentation Sketchbooks Optional: Projector/screen/laptop – if equipment is not available you could print images of chosen buildings and hand them round the group Tasks See next page

Evidence Agreed focus/theme for models

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Workshop 4

Activity 4.1 Think Tasks Before workshop: Prepare a PowerPoint presentation of a diverse range of building lighting strategies and projects.

Local (Glasgow) examples: • Royal Exchange Square Lighting • Glasgow Cathedral • Castlemilk High Rise Lighting • The Water Towers in Easterhouse • Garthamlock and Drumchapel • Titan Crane in Clydebank • Victoria Bridge and South Portland Street Bridge on the Clyde International examples: • Sackler Crossing in Kew Gardens • Millennium Spire in Dublin • Birds’ Nest stadium and the Water Cube/ National Aquatics Centre in Beijing

During workshop: Show PowerPoint presentation and encourage discussion around lighting examples.

Students pick an example of a lighting project (could be from the presentation or one they’ve found themselves).

Think about and note down ideas in your sketchbooks about: • What is being lit? Describe its geometry, form and scale • Describe the surfaces being lit e.g. sandstone, metal, textured, smooth?

• Colour and pattern of lighting • Think about the purpose of the lighting – To enhance? To communicate?

A historical or cultural reference?

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Workshop 4

Activity 4.2 Experiment Estimated time 60 minutes Curriculum links Literacy: Tools for listening and talking Expressive Arts: Art and Design Social Studies: People in society, economy and business Learning intention To explore one lighting design for the school frontage in a 3D format.

Resources Essential: An assortment of small torches and battery operated Christmas lights (may be available from your local lighting supply shop).

Coloured gels/ acetates (may be obtained from local theatre lighting suppliers).

Textured materials, for example corrugated card, sand paper.

Reflective materials, for example tin foil.

Simple cardboard model of school to represent façade (from Workshop 3) for each design team.

Optional: Miniature spotlights: 10mm diffused white LEDS and CR2032 coin batteries – we’d recommend trying to source this equipment as it’s more powerful and produces a better result than using mini-torches or fairy lights.

In addition it is easier to use alongside scale models as it fixes in place easily with Sellotape.

Evidence Models of lighting ideas

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Workshop 4

Activity 4.2 Experiment Tasks In design teams, experiment with different lighting ideas, using materials and equipment provided.

Make it clear that teams may want to build on the last workshop’s output and light their public artwork models or they might want to create a lighting intervention from scratch.

This could include: • Combining coloured gels to create new colours • Bending and shaping reflective materials to throw light in multiple directions • Diffusing light with semi opaque materials such as tissue paper • Using high intensity light to create shadow and pattern • Experimenting with different types of light to compare the output

Above: Shawlands Academy students create models of their lighting ideas for the school’s façade.

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Workshop 4

Activity 4.3 Document Estimated time 30 minutes Curriculum links Expressive Arts: Art and Design Learning intention To record student’s lighting designs.

Resources Essential: Representative model of school with lighting ideas applied.

Digital cameras (minimum 1, ideally 1 per design team).

Optional: Staging items e.g. photographic back drop (white/black card), scale 1:50 people, model trees.

If you aren’t able to get hold of scale model people, do a Google Image search ‘scale people silhouettes’. You’ll find a variety of images you can print off, stick onto card and cut out.

Tasks See next page

Evidence Digital images of lighting approaches.

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Workshop 4

Activity 4.3 Document Tasks Close classroom curtains and dim lights.

Ask students to take photographs at imaginary eye level using macro photography settings and props (e.g. scaled people and trees) to simulate a real setting.

Also ask them to take photographs at various angles to see how the light changes at different angles.

Make them aware that consideration should be given to both shadow and light when taking photographs.

These photographs, in addition to previously collected information, create a rich range of reference material that will be used for the final workshop.

Above: A selection of students’ lighting ideas for their school’s façade.

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Workshop 5 Presenting proposals

Estimated time 120 minutes Overall workshop aim To work collaboratively to create visual information boards that incorporate relevant issues and aspirations towards the redesigning of the school frontage.

To evaluate the outputs and experiences of the whole project.

Activities 5.1 Collate 5.2 Evaluate and present

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Workshop 5

Activity 5.1 Collate Estimated time 80 minutes Curriculum links Literacy: Tools for listening and talking; Finding and using information Social Studies: People in society, economy and business Learning intention To summarise the ideas and work generated in the first four workshops into a visual information board for each design team.

Resources Essential: Information, models and photos gathered in Workshops 1-3 Copies of sketchbook contents (photocopies, scanned images etc) A2 foam board (1 board per design team) – thick card would work if foam board is unavailable Coloured papers, collage materials Glue, scissors Photocopies of students’ work from sketchbooks

Evidence Visual information boards with models

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Workshop 5

Activity 5.1 Collate Tasks In design teams, collage together the visual information generated in previous workshops and use the A2 foam board to create visual information boards, also include a logo to represent your design collective. These information boards should show some of the process and thinking that has underpinned Workshops 1-4. Their purpose is to give an architect, designer or artist insight as to the issues and hopes that are important to people who use the school.

The models from Workshop Three should be included as supporting material alongside the visual information boards.

Using images and words consider the following in the boards: • What do you think of the building as it stands?

• How would you like the front of the school to feel/look like?

• What would you like the front of the school to symbolise?

• How can you demonstrate the research and thinking over the past 3 workshops?

• Has there been a particular architect or building that has inspired you?

Articulate three priorities for the redesign of the school frontage. Make these clear on the information boards.

Above: A visual information board created by Shawlands Academy students.

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Workshop 5

Activity 5.2 Evaluate and present Estimated time 40 minutes Curriculum links Expressive Arts: Participation in performances and presentations Learning intention To share and present each teams’ visual information board with the rest of the group.

To negotiate and record the most important ideas for the school’s façade.

Resources Essential: Visual Information boards Models of public art

Evidence Oral presentations Priorities for the school’s façade

Tasks Each design team presents their visual information boards and models to the other teams. Presentations should last about five minutes each. All members of the design team should make a contribution to the presentation.

• What have you discovered about the school building?

• What have you learned about designing for change in public spaces?

• What are the 3 most important things that the architect or designer should take into consideration? (Make sure these are recorded somewhere so they can be included in the final visual brief)

Potential discussion questions: • What has been your experience of this project?

The design teams should be prepared to ask each other questions at the end of each presentation.

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Workshop 5

Activity 5.2 Evaluate and present

Above: Students present their designs for the school’s façade.

Case study: Shawlands Academy – visual brief The final workshop at Shawlands Academy saw the participants present their work in the form of visual information boards.

Following the presentations, a visual brief was assembled from the work the students had produced.

This was a simple process and involved taking high-resolution photos of the visual information boards and uploading these to a computer. Main ‘headlines’ were then picked from each group’s board to create a short, sharp list of changes the participants wanted to see happen. Alongside these headlines, some images and drawings of the school produced throughout the

workshops were included to help illustrate the process undertaken. Then, using an image of each visual information board, key points generated by the students were highlighted, relating to how they felt about their school now and the key concepts deriving from their ideas for the frontage.

A comments section was also added to enable other ideas from their sketchbooks and further explanation of their key concepts to be included.

You can see the visual brief produced by the students at Shawlands Academy on page 39.

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Next steps

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Next steps

The next steps would be dependent on the nature of the project – for example, larger scale projects might see the visual brief being handed over to project architects or designers to help inform their designs.

Alternatively, smaller scale interventions to a school’s façade have the potential to be carried out by the schools themselves.

In this case, it may be helpful to devise an action plan of ideas that the school students and teachers can begin to take forward.

Case study: Shawlands Academy – next steps Once assembled, the visual brief was presented to the participants and feedback was invited. The final version was then handed over to Glasgow City Council Lighting Strategy Department, who had made funding available to commission a lighting project for the front of the school.

The document formed part of a wider brief which went out to tender to designers.

Students and staff involved in the project workshops were invited to sit on the panel which selected the winning proposal for the lighting project.

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VISUAL BRIEF

SHAWLANDS SCHOOL GATE PROJECT

“Light” We want a brighter more welcoming entrance to the school which is more inviting to the students

“More colourful” Using bright colours to liven up the school instead of it being plain and boring

“More trees and nicer ones” Trees block out the light and are too tall, not enough plants

“Change the railings” Railings are too high and not welcoming - they act as a barrier and are uninviting

“Not as boring” Too angular, forbidding, drab and restrictive. Needs to be much more fluid, less like a jail

HEADLINES

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Case study example: Shawlands Academy visual brief

COMMENTS • Initially we thought about using fluid, rounded shapes to smooth away the facade’s angles. We then decided to use a design which harmonised with the angular building and created a canopy, using more rigid shapes.

• We thought about using warm colours for our lighting intervention as we wanted it to feel welcoming and for passers by to remember the building.

• We wanted the design to be eco-friendly and thought about using recycled plywood for the canopy.

KEY CONCEPTS • Colour makes a difference • Use rigid shapes which harmonise with angular facade • Want to use lighting to make building more welcoming

HOW WE FEEL ABOUT OUR SCHOOL • Too angular • Forbidding • Drab • Restrictive

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Case study example: Shawlands Academy visual brief

COMMENTS • The walls of the school building are brown and dark so we’d like to brighten it up using different colours across the front of the school. If we had the money we’d change the colours every couple of months, it would be an ongoing project.

• To show we’re a creative school we’d use bright colours to make it look more friendly and paint the rails so it didn’t look as jail-like. We’d like the school to be bright at night time as well - we’d use mirrors to reflect coloured lights and stained glass windows with lights beneath them so that they reflect onto other buildings.

KEY CONCEPTS • Would like school to be bright and colourful • Use splats of different colour paint and mirrors • Want to show that we’re a creative school • Want the school to look friendly

HOW WE FEEL ABOUT OUR SCHOOL • Plain and boring • Jail-like • Doesn’t look like a school • Not looked after

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Case study example: Shawlands Academy visual brief

• We like the way the building looks already but it needs livening up.

• Our idea would be to make little additions to improve what’s already there.

• A school is supposed to nurture - so we thought about using flowers and having them growing up the building like ivy.

• We thought about using apples to symbolise education - on the railings.

• We’d like to use light to emphasise the flowers at night time and use warm colours to make it feel inviting.

COMMENTS

KEY CONCEPTS • Building needs to be livened up • Use symbols relating to education • Warm lighting to make building feel inviting

HOW WE FEEL ABOUT OUR SCHOOL • Dull and no colour • Building quite attractive • Trees and fence too tall and shade out light • Fence acts as barrier

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Case study example: Shawlands Academy visual brief

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COMMENTS • We’d like the school to be bright, welcoming and fun. We used intertwining hands to emphasise togetherness and team work and reflect the multi-cultural nature of our school.

• One idea for the railings was to replace them with imprints of hands to create interesting shapes representing protection and security and which can be used as seats.

• We’d use lighting to uplight the trees using bright colours to make them look different. We’d like to change the fencing and replace it with bright coloured panels which could move in the wind.

KEY CONCEPTS • Want the school to epitomise: warmth, security, friendship, unity • Use hand designs to symbolise diversity • Light trees • Change fencing

HOW WE FEEL ABOUT OUR SCHOOL • Boring • Scabby • Ugly • Old • Down with the railings • Not welcoming • Not enough trees

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Case study example: Shawlands Academy visual brief