17th October 2025

Delivered by: Mjed Khouri, volunteer

Key features: civic awareness; community engagement; critical thinking; analysis; debate; art skills; Multisensory learning

The workshop: Mr. Majd is an architect who has been working on the reconstruction of the Church building attached to our school premises. He came to share his love and enthusiasm for architecture with the children. He started by giving them photographs of buildings that he likes and engaging them in conversation about the elements of each building that he likes. They began by looking at a classical building and then a modern one. This got the class talking about how buildings can be very different, and how complexity of design can be desirable as well as its opposite simplicity. The children then talked about their favourite buildings and the elements they like about them.

This got everyone thinking about the elements of design in each building and the uses of each. They started to think about the decisions that architects make. It raised awareness of the buildings surrounding us in our city. Children touched on aesthetics; and have started to form personal opinions on architecture. Pupils began to develop a passion for architecture and curiosity to ask, talk and research more about our built-up environment. The workshop ended with the children designing and building their own structures out of Lego. The concentration in the classroom was tangible!