Hugh DamesSample Projects

By making connections with one another, and keeping them going over time, people are able to work together to achieve things that they either could not achieve by themselves, or

could only achieve with great difficulty…

(Bowling Alone, Robert D. Putnam)

Heart of Community ChallengeProject Lead

Aim

Willowfield Humanities College is moving to a new site in Blackhorse Lane - an area where housing, transport and leisure provision will be transformed in the future through regeneration.

Whilst the school is developing the design brief for its new and expanded facilities around its vision as Heart of the Blackhorse Lane Community, the Council is developing the strategic planning framework that will guide and help frame the wider regeneration of the area.

This engagement process linked the design process of the school with the planning framework process for the area - identifying how the school and area might look and function if the planning and design of each process worked together to support this vision.

Event

The Willowfield Humanities College Heart of Community Pupil Challenge was a two day pupil visioning, planning and design event that took place over the 24th and 25th of February 2010.

Sessions were developed and delivered by Waltham Forest Council Officers from across 14-19, Regeneration, Public Realm, Planning, BSF, Sustainability, Highways and Culture, with guidance and support from Willowfield teachers.

Resources pack of workshop outlines and other resources developed for this event will be made available to all LBWF schools.

Process Feedback

“Having attended many such workshops with students I must say how impressed I was. A two-day event with 120 students is certainly the most ambitious and, no doubt, challenging example of which I am aware. That all the students were so focussed for such a long period is testament to the incredible organisational

work put in.” (Nick Mirchandani RIBA, Director for and on behalf of architecture plb)

“It was a truly inspiring experience - While I am in Australia I will be writing an article about LDF youth consultation, including the workshop, to submit to a planning mag and also to send around to different parts

of the Council etc.” (Geneva Vanderzeil LBWF, Spatial Planning Officer and team member)

“Best day ever!” Iveva “All good!” Sabrine “Fun and happy, so many helped” Sabrina “I had fun” Yoqaslf “Love it” Mohamed “I enjoyed these two days a lot” Sofia “I had a great time- thank you” Kheulaug “Thanks

– Ive had an excited two days” Sabah “It was really good” Daniel “I love art” Naumann (Willowfield Pupils)

“I believe this new and ground-breaking event went much further than other similar exercises that tended to focus solely on the school environment. The widening to include a community focus made the work

extremely valuable. I firmly believe that the school design, and community involvement, will benefit hugely.”

(Chris Kiernan, Executive Director, Children and Young People Services)

Leytonstone School‟s Decant EventProject Lead

Leytonstone Business and Enterprise Decant Event

Thank you for your work as a member of the team in planning and delivering the Leytonstone Business and Enterprise School‟s Decant Event on 20 May 2010.

As you know, the event involved pupils and staff, representatives from local community organisations as well as police, council officers and Safety Net representatives in the exploration of issues and identification of solutions relating Leytonstone School‟s two year decant to Wood Street, Walthamstow.

The Head Teacher, Luke Burton, described the input of all the team as “superlative”. The issues identified and recommendations put forward by the pupils have formed core components of the decant strategy and the school is continuing to build on relationships with local community organisations initiated through the process.

This was a focussed, energised initiative developed and delivered be a very effective cross-departmental and multi agency team. Your personal contribution and that of your organisation is very much appreciated.

Moira BishopHead of Capital Strategy and Partnering

School WorksProjects Manager

Participatory Design

Projects Manager, DfES Participatory School Design National Demonstration Projects

• Northampton

• Newcastle

• Bradford

• Sunderland

Lead Agent / Project Manager Participatory School Design Consultancy Services

• Knowsley*

• Milton Keynes

• Manchester

• Lincolnshire

• Waltham Forest

* Knowsley was winner of the ‘Innovation in student engagement’ local authority prize in the

Excellence in BSF Awards 2008

“The Knowsley approach - which is being used beyond BSF and is now deployed across all areas of education capital funding - is characterised by the following:

•Early engagement with representative student groups ;•A three-day Design Festival and inspirational architecture visits in June 2005 with School Works involving 150 students from across all secondary schools working alongside a mix of other stakeholders such as police and fire services psychologists, parents, learning mentors, school governors;•Best practice visits in the UK and abroad in early 2006”

Inspirational Tours

Design Festivals

Being Involved in School Design Architecture Week and Beyond

Project Lead

On 3 March 2006 the „Being involved in school design‟ brought together representatives from the regional Architecture Centres, local authorities , Arts Council, Sports England, BBC, primary and secondary schools, Riba, and participation practitioners to co –develop a national programme of participatory school design events and activities over Architecture Week 2006.

CABE, DfES and Partnerships for Schools outlined policy contexts in depth, before all participants explored and developed different participatory approaches that could be delivered in practice and piloted/ initiated over Architecture Week.

As well as identifying event initiatives, findings arising from the day included:

o Architecture Week pilot sessions needed to recognise the timetable constraints local authorities faced within BSF procurement in planning for co location of services but also in delivering integrated and effective community participation

oThe importance of linking up the expertise of the group in delivering participatory school design Architecture Week activities

Architecture Week Events

hugh@social-capital.co.uk