Future Vision Symposium

Today we had the pleasure of seeing the Future Vision project come to an end in the way of a showcase of all the pupils' work; models, sketches, live performances and the first viewing of the project Film.

Many Congratulations to all involved.

Birmingham pupils showcase designs for library and theatre complex of the future

Young people from four Birmingham schools will celebrate the culmination of a ten-week engineering and architecture project called Future Vision on Thursday 7 July, which has seen them develop designs for a library and theatre complex of the future. Taking inspiration from the new £188.8 million Library of Birmingham, which will be joined to Birmingham Repertory Theatre, they have been working with engineers from Midlands-based construction company, Carillion, and local engineering firms, Thomasons and Stewart & Harris. Birmingham architecture firm, Hunt Feneley, led the initiative and helped the pupils develop their designs.

Over the course of the project, which was funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious grants scheme and delivered in partnership with Bright Space, Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Mecanoo (architects for the Library of Birmingham project), the children took part in ten sessions during which they learnt about the planning, design and engineering processes involved in creating a major new building. They also explored what a library is, whether they need to adapt to meet the demands of the modern world, and if 'library' will be the right way to describe them in the future.

To provide inspiration for their designs and to help them understand the impact that buildings can have on an area, the children visited both the Library of Birmingham and Birmingham Repertory Theatre construction site, as well as architectural projects in the UK and further afield.

Small Heath School went to London to see the Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge and the London Eye, while Swanshurst School in Billesley went to Salford, to take in the Imperial War Museum North, The Lowry, Royal Exchange Theatre and the Manchester Civil Justice Centre. Turves Green Boys School in Northfield travelled to Delft in the Netherlands to see the spectacular TU Delft Library, designed by Mecanoo. They also visited the company’s impressive headquarters, a former chapel also in Delft, while Harborne Academy travelled to Oslo, to visit the new Opera House and Museum of Architecture.

Pupils went on to develop designs for their own library and theatre of the future by sketching ideas, testing them with a 3D programme and producing models of the buildings to check potential design issues and investigate possible problems with the planned structure.

Professor Christopher Bishop FREng, Chair of the Ingenious funding panel and Distinguished Scientist at Microsoft Research in Cambridge says: “Ingenious is all about giving today’s practicing engineers the necessary tools to help engage the wider public in the important and exciting world of engineering. This Future Vision project is a perfect example of how the young people from these four Birmingham schools have been given an insight into every aspect of what it takes to create a large building such as a library or theatre. If it has put the seed into their minds that engineering is a fantastic career choice, then the whole project has been worthwhile.

Brian Gambles, Project Director for the Library of Birmingham, which backed the initiative, adds: "We are delighted to have been involved in this project as it helps bring to life the impact that the new Library of Birmingham will have on the city for these young people. The group have been given a real insight into the plans for the new Library and I hope they now can't wait for it to open in 2013. I know that their involvement in Future Vision has inspired and challenged them and, for some, perhaps even encouraged them to pursue engineering or architecture as a career."

Steve Ball, Associate Director at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, says: “Birmingham is a great international city. The Future Vision project provides a wonderful opportunity for young people to engage with design and architecture in other European cities in a meaningful and exciting way.”

Andy Hunt, who led the project, says: “Architecture and engineering are critical to society, the built environment influences all activities in our lives. These pupils have shown great enthusiasm throughout the project and shown an eagerness to be involved in how places are made. I hope some will become the next generation of Birmingham’s designers”

At the one-day event at Birmingham’s ThinkTank centre, participants from each school will come together to showcase their work. This will give them all a chance to learn from each other’s experiences and talk about their own design ideas.

The Future Vision project has been documented by film-maker/ photographer Harmeet Chagger-Khan and will be available to view at [insert website]

About Ingenious

Ingenious is run by the Royal Academy of Engineering and funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Grants are awarded to projects that put engineers at the heart of society. Participating engineers are provided with training and experiential opportunities to develop their communication and listening skills and engage in debate with the public on some of the ethical and societal issues that engineering brings.

To date the Ingenious programme has funded 80 projects and has helped more than 1,000 engineers develop and deliver a wide range of public engagement activities. Many recipients of Ingenious grants over the scheme's five year history have continued to champion public engagement in their work.

www.raeng.org.uk/ingenious

About the Library of Birmingham

The Library of Birmingham will be a major new cultural destination, rewriting the book for 21st century public libraries. It opens in 2013. The total capital cost of the Library of Birmingham project is £188.8m, a reduction of £4.2m on the original forecasted figure of £193m. This investment covers the 35,000 sq m of the Library of Birmingham and the building of new up-dated back of house facilities for The REP. The Library of Birmingham will occupy 31,000 sq m.

Designed by international architects Mecanoo, the Library of Birmingham will be located in the city’s Centenary Square. The new library will be physically connected to Birmingham Repertory Theatre (The REP) and the two organisations will work in partnership, bringing together the written and spoken word through drama, poetry and performance.

Described by its architect Francine Houben as a ‘people’s palace’, the Library of Birmingham will be highly accessible and family-friendly. It will deliver excellent services through collaboration between the library, The REP, partners and communities. It will provide a dynamic mix of events, activities and performance together with outstanding resources, exhibitions and access to expert help for learning, information and culture.

About Bright Space

Bright Space promotes brighter futures for young people through arts and culture. Bright Space currently delivers the Creative Partnerships programme in Birmingham, Herefordshire and Worcestershire in addition to our own range of cultural projects www.brightspace.org.uk.

For further information or images from the Future Vision project contact Ellie Backhouse or Matt Railton at Colman Getty on 020 7631 2666 / ellie@colmangetty.co.uk / matt@colmangetty.co.uk.

Delft Study Trip 16th June 2011

Turves Green Boys School enjoyed a Future Vision study visit to Delft, visiting the offices of the Library of Birmingham architects, Meccanoo and a famous Library completed by Mecanoo at Delft Technical University.

Mecanoo Architect, Patrick Arends had forewarned us of the amazing spectacle that is the cycle store at Delft Train Station. Patrick allowed plenty of time for us to observe and marvel at the many hundreds of bicycles .... Birmingham New Street, take note.

We enjoyed a guided and narrated tour of the short walk along the canal-side hearing tales of the historic city

However there had been little to prepare us for the exciting visit to Mecanoo's Offices

Personally, I found the experience of the office quite overwhelming. We were given insight into how this friendly, open and collaborative office works, seeing dozens of models, drawings, samples and presentations ..... in every part of the office.

We were given an engaging insight into the design process behind the new Library of Birmingham with the Delft-based team showing us current works, conceptual sketch models and explanations for the development and resolution of the Library design.

Tu Delft Library

Patrick from Mecanoo also guided us around the wonderful university library with his colleague Sofia. As university examinations were being held, we tip-toed around in pairs which probably emphasised some aspects of what it feels like to work and study in the building. Quite different to the *peoples palace* that the Library of Birmingham is intended to be TU Delft Library is a technical library aimed solely at university graduates and PHd students.

The office visit was a fascinating insight into how this architectural practice works and has escalated my own excitement for the Library of Birmingham; which frustratingly will not be open until 2013. In the meantime there are other Mecanoo projects that can be enjoyed such as the TU Delft Library that we went to see as well as seeing the Future Vision models at the Symposium on 7th July 2011.

Oslo Study Trip 7-8th June 2011

We encountered the Operahouse first from a pedestrian bridge over the busy roads. This provided a dramatic revealing of the scale and ingenuity of the building. Externally, the forward facing, public parts of the building resemble a landscape transformed. Large planes of public space twisted and lifted to form usable space.

The most satisfying part of the trip was probably at this moment, when it took a short while to encourage the pupils down from the bridge so we could go and get inside the building; they were instantly excited and energised, snapping photos chatting and laughing.



Inside, our guide explained the vision of a building you could stand on as "to stand on something gives the sense of ownership ..." The project was state funded and as the state represents the people then it should be a peoples' building. The foyer is large & bright and this is emphasised by the low entrance threshold; it almost feels like you're sneaking in.



The auditorium is entirely clad in Oak both internally and externally; the 'wooden heart'. As we crossed the threshold into the timber realm the reaction amongst pupils and adults alike was moving with everyone touching and feeling the wooden walls.

Our visit to the opera house was fully rounded as our guide took us through to the backstage areas, seeing props and stage panels, great backdrops and the installation of the temporary ballet floor. We would then watch the last performance of Romeo & Juliette for the complete building experience.

You can find out more about the Snohetta designed Operahouse here

Rolling Bridge

I have been thinking about interesting pieces that may add a little extra zest to some of the projects or may provide some inspiration in this final term for how a particular part of your libraries & theatres may look. Inspiration can be found in many places however and whilst some of the buildings that Small Heath have been to see in London and others we are yet to visit there are also many special creations that can be found.



Much more can be found out about this bridge by searching for 'The Rolling Bridge' or looking at the website of the studio that created it here

Small Heath : London Study Trip

The year 7 pupils at Small Heath school visited London as their study trip.

The itinerary provided time to see and discuss the design and engineering of Peckham Library Tate Modern the London Eye the Millennium Bridge and a walk along the Southbank.











Some readers (perhaps not the pupils) may remember the Millennium Bridge after first opening



Reassuringly this is no longer the case!

Harborne Academy - Model Workshop

After the initial sketch designs, the teams took their proposals into the model workshop to experiment with building forms and begin to consider structures



Some familiar themes of geometry appear as well as some more radical shape explorations that would challenge some of our greatest engineers.



With one team eventually finding some structural similarities with some innovative structures of the past