Volunteering architects as teachers in schools. A serious play to shape a better built environment
The Association "De-a Arhitectura" aims to develop and promote architecture and built environment education in order to raise awareness and knowledge of the values of architecture, design and urbanism. This article refers only to one of the association's projects, namely the one carried out with financial support from the Romanian Union of Architects from the "Timbrul Arhitecturii" Fund in 2014: the project "De-a Arhitectura - training of tutors 2014".
The architects involved in teaching the course "De-a Arhitectura în meu oraș" bring to school students not only notions about proportions, light, color, textures, materiality, urban space, specificity and memory of the place, functions and rules, sustainability, etc... they cultivate in children curiosity and respect for the field of architecture and urbanism and for the professions associated with these fields, the appetite and boldness for creativity and the courage to contribute to a balanced development of localities. What is more, as last year's teachers and volunteer architects confessed to us, the students participating in this optional course for 3rd and 4th grades change their way of thinking, are surprised to find that there is a multitude of right answers and understand that truth is made of the truths of those around them, of those with whom they share space, journey, history, emotion, moment and what is to come. With these considerations, the activities of the project "De-a Arhitectura - training of tutors 2014", beneficiary of a grant from the Romanian Union of Architects from the "Timbrul Arhitecturii" Fund, in 2014, were "colored". Through this project, the "De-a Arhitectura" Association organized the preliminary training of the tutors of the optional course, i.e. primary school teachers and volunteer architects who, at the moment, teach this course, every week of the school year, to a number of approximately 2,600 children, from 101 third and fourth grades, from 14 counties in the country. Through the activities carried out, the "De-a Arhitectura" Association prepared the teams of tutors of each class, formed by the architect-teacher tandem, both on the content of the program and the interactive methods of experiential learning.
Our trainers recall that the most fun lesson simulation sessions were when grown-up people tried their best to be as naughty as possible as children. The volunteer architects thus convinced themselves that all the 25-30 students they will meet once a week are real people, each different, with whom you have to build a genuine relationship. Also interesting was the exercise where they didn't work in mixed teams, the teachers and the architects worked independently to define some "anchors" of their profession in the "From-to-Architecture" course... makes you wonder if people choose their profession or the profession chooses people... The lady teachers finished in five minutes the scheme of what the children know from other subjects that they will use in "De-a Arhitectura" and vice versa. Two of the teachers presented clearly, simply and clearly. But the architects started the work by re-arranging the tables... then they started to debate intensively trying to determine the five fundamental things about architecture that they have to pass on to the children, and after 40 minutes they passionately started the presentation announcing that the notions they had arrived at were impossible to rank in order of importance...
We can therefore say with confidence that the students following the optional course "From Architecture to Architecture in My City" are in good hands!
During the workshops, the defining contribution of the Romanian Union of Architects, through the funding of the cultural project "De-a Arhitectura - training of tutors 2014", was emphasized. The 130 volunteer architects willing to dedicate their time and creativity to work with students (unpaid activity, but recognized as a professional activity as of this year, according to Law no. 78/2014) felt the support of the UAR as a great encouragement for what they do and for a greater visibility and involvement in the social life of the city in general. The project also benefited from the support of OAR Timiș for the printing of materials for the workshops in Timișoara, from the support of the members of "De-a Arhitectura", by providing the necessary equipment, as well as from the University of Architecture and Urbanism "Ion Mincu" - Faculty of Interior Design, the Casei Corpului Didactic Bucharest, the Faculty of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Timișoara, S.C. Planwerk SRL Cluj-Napoca and the schools of Sibiu, Constanța and Bacău, by making available the workshop spaces.
The Association "De-a Arhitectura" aims to assist the volunteer architects, to continue the training of future tutors of the optional course "De-a Arhitectura în meu oraș", to introduce the new school program "De-a Arhitectura în școala mea" for the secondary school cycle in the pilot classes, to complete its offer with activities and events and to initiate new debates that may lead to the birth of a new profession, that of architect educator.