Year 2 talk design with Dr Scott
As part of their latest PYP unit, âHow We Organise Ourselvesâ, Year 2 has looked at the evolution of Wenona, which included an interview with Dr Scott.
In the words of Nobel Prize winner and author, Malala Yousafzai: "One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world." As part of their inquiry into âHow We Organise Ourselvesâ, Ms Peckâs Year 2 students have been looking at how education systems are organised around the world, exploring different approaches to schools and schooling.
Access to a high-quality education is something that we take for granted here in Australia. But as Year 2 discovered in the course of their research, not all schools are the same. In fact, in some parts of the world, students have to contend with challenging circumstances just to attend school, such as poverty and distance, political unrest and illness.
Ms Peck gave Year 2 a variety of images and asked them to reflect on what they saw. They were astonished to see the differences between schools in different countries. There were schools without electricity, classrooms that were flooded with water, remote classrooms in rainforests, and even outdoor classrooms.
Year 2 were then shown an old architectural model of Wenona before Woodstock existed. What was this model about, asked Ms Peck? Did they recognise any of the buildings? Did it look familiar to them? What questions did it prompt them to ask?
Year 2 wondered where Woodstock was and where The Athenaeum was? They wondered where the Year 2 classrooms used to be and where the girls used to play? They wondered why the School was so different and when it had looked like that.
Ms Peck then gave the students a copy of the original architectâs plans for The Athenaeum and they headed over to the building to see if they could recognise how the plans had come to life and whether anything had changed along the way.
Looking at the plans in situ really made them appreciate that constructing a new building from scratch is not quite as easy as it seems on Minecraft. By taking a walk through all the different spaces, they were able to perceive the physicality of the School, how it operates, and how the teaching and learning connects to the different elements of architecture.
They were brimming with ideas and questions about The Athenaeum so they asked Dr Scott if they could interview her about it. She kindly agreed and met with them in the new Food Tech Kitchen in The Athenaeum.
Samantha, Caitlin and Alana asked Dr Scott how she came up with the design for The Athenaeum in the first place. âWell, I visited lots of schools around the world,â explained Dr Scott. âI also went online and looked at some incredible schools in Europe and Asia that I loved. Schools like The Green School in Bali, which is built in the middle of a tropical rainforest. I looked at theme parks like Disneyland â imagine a school that was like a theme park! And I also looked at beautiful hotels and asked myself why it is when you walk into the foyer, you think âthis is so niceâ? And finally, I asked lots of different people what kind of building theyâd like, including students, teachers and parents, to name but a few.
Shae and Audrey asked her what she liked most about The Athenaeum. âI love all the timber and the plants,â said Dr Scott. âWeâre getting more plants too. I canât wait for them to grow and flower. Thereâs a lot of research into the fact that plants make us feel happier and healthier. You know how alive you feel when you walk through the gardens and see all the beautiful flowers and trees, well thatâs what I wanted for The Athenaeum. Having plants and greenery everywhere lifts our spirits and helps to bring the energy of the outdoors, indoors.
And Chase asked her in what ways The Athenaeum was futuristic. âWell, Iâd probably say that itâs futuristic because weâve incorporated a lot of sustainability principles into the architecture of The Athenaeum. For example, weâve reduced our energy consumption by having sensors that automatically recognise when you enter a space, so you donât need to worry about turning lights on and off. There are plants everywhere, which help to keep the building cool, and also improve the air quality by removing pollutants. And of course, we chose not to use chlorine in the pool. Instead, we used ozone bromine, which is more environmentally friendly.â
And Samantha and Jeana asked Dr Scott what she was going to build next. âMaybe a Junior School,â said Dr Scott. And she asked them if they could help her with any suggestions.
So, Year 2 headed back to their classroom and got to grips with creating their own masterplan for their âidealâ Junior School, carefully considering a layout and features that would meet the needs of the Junior School community. Each student then had an opportunity to present their design concept to the rest of the class, taking on board feedback and ideas, and explaining why theyâd chosen to design a particular space.
Saffron decided to design a new reception space at Hooke House for Ms Grace. Ms Grace was thrilled to sit with Saffron while she talked her through her concept for the new space.
As Year 2 have discovered over the course of their inquiry, there are so many factors that contribute to positive educational outcomes in a school environment. Coming up with a purposeful design that incorporates great teaching and learning spaces and play areas is not as easy as it seems. But as they now understand, good design is an important factor in fostering social connection, happiness and wellbeing.