City making

As part of the RIBA Ambassadors programme, we ran two creative workshops with Year 3 students at John Keats Primary School, linking to their curriculum theme “Where We Are in Place and Time.”

We began by exploring how architecture around the world reflects geography, climate, and culture—looking at buildings made from local materials like bamboo, clay, and ice. Inspired by these examples, each student designed and built a home, imagining who might live there and what their needs and lifestyle would be. Using recycled materials, cardboard, and colour paper, they brought these ideas to life in their own unique architectural creations.

In the second session, the students brought their houses together to form a city. Working in small groups, they designed and built communal structures—like a library, a playground, and gathering spaces—turning individual creations into a shared community. The project ended with presentations where students proudly shared their designs, stories, and what they enjoyed most about the process

Developed in collaboration with Maria Perez Vera, and John Keats Primary School as part of the RIBA Architecture Ambassadors Programme.