Jersey Students Get Creative For Architecture Competition

Friday 26 June 2015

Jersey school pupils have been invited to participate in the Biannual Architecture Schools Competition Workshop, sponsored by AAL Recycling, on Monday 6th July 2015 at Hautlieu.

The competition forms part of the build up to Jersey Architecture Biennale (JAB15), a weeklong celebration of Jersey Architecture taking place 14th-18th September 2015.

Volunteering professionals have provided schools with in-house support in the months leading up to the workshop, explaining the brief and teaching them requisite design and collaboration skills. On the day, participants will work in teams to construct a model with specific performance requirements. This year they have been briefed to build a beam structure fixed only at one end, known as a cantilevering structure, recycling a single copy of the Jersey Evening Post. Architects, engineers and construction professionals will also be on hand to assist the pupils.

The aim of the event is to encourage the creativity of young islanders, develop their teamwork skills and give them meaningful involvement in the Jersey Architecture Biennale, alongside a taster of future career possibilities in architecture and construction.

Primary and secondary students will be judged separately by four professionals. Teams will be judged on the appearance of their design, its structural performance, their understanding of design requirements and how effectively they have worked together. The winning schools from both categories will be invited to attend the CCA Gallery during Architecture Week to receive a BIG Cheque for £500, provided by the event’s recurring sponsor AAL Recycling.

Tristan Job, competition organiser and member of the Association of Jersey Architects said: “We always look forward to the Biannual Architecture Schools Competition Workshop as part of our Island-wide celebration of architecture. We are impressed by the students’ creativity and commitment, and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable opportunity for us as professionals to see the next generation becoming involved. We are passionate about opening up the world of architecture and construction to all our fellow islanders from a grassroots level and this competition is testament to that.” 

Commenting on their involvement in the competition, Alan Langlois of AAL Recycling added: “This exciting competition not only opens the minds of the young people involved to the possibilities of a career in design and construction, it also inspires their creativity through the concept of recycling a Jersey Evening Post. The vitally important message of sustainability for the Island, which is at the heart of all of our work with the construction industry, is so important for our young people. It is they who will need to come up with creative solutions to determine the sustainability of our Island for the future, and which is highlighted by initiatives such as this Workshop”.