Portsmouth School of Architecture (ARCH)

Projects

Somerstown Stories Design Charrette

Somerstown is a district of Portsmouth which was largely rebuilt after the Second World War and boasts a diverse cultural history, much of which remains to be explored and documented.  Somerstown Stories is a lottery funded local heritage initiative which encourages the Portsmouth community to engage with the past, present and future of Somerstown through a close collaboration between various private and public organisations.  Following on from a year-long Diploma One, core-curriculum assignment, The Project Office were commissioned to co-ordinate a Design Charrette to assist Year 9 pupils from the local Charter Academy School to explore their local urban context.

The event took place over one-day during which groups of school pupils discussed ideas and strategies with a postgraduate student mentor, enlisting a wide variety of media which included text, sketches, models and verbal means of representation.  The event concluded with a presentation from the groups to representatives from the University of Portsmouth, the Church of England and local interest groups.  The younger pupils who took part developed critical analysis and creative thinking skills, whilst the architecture students experienced direct contact and engagement with a local community, as an extension of their academic experience.

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