By Jena Carr
A Geelong studio is using hands-on educational experience to address climate change and promote sustainable living through architecture.
The Arckit Sustainability Studio, a collaboration between The Brainary and Geelong Regional Library Corporation, received $10,000 through Surf Coast Shire Council’s Climate Emergency Grants.
The Brainary office manager Emma Hardaker said the grant would help the organisation spread awareness about how architecture could provide a more sustainable future.
“Sustainability is becoming a major topic and trying to incorporate that into the classroom or into children’s learning in general, is super important for future generations,” she said.
“Allowing the kids within the Surf Coast Shire access to both the program and the Arckit kits will allow them to explore architecture and how that can help with sustainability.
“Particularly in the Surf Coast Shire, they’ve battled quite a bit with bushfires and those kinds of things, so it’s ways they can think about how architecture could play a part in ensuring safety.”
Product and communications specialist Madison Old said it was “really exciting” to receive funding for the program, which offered sessions for primary and secondary students and adults.
“We offer these sessions where the adults and students come in and they are hired as junior architects, so that’s a bit of a role-playing experience,” she said.
“They get a task, then they get a top-secret client that they have to work for, which they will have to sort of achieve these sustainability goals through their buildings.
“The product is really great for inspiring action through the education, so that’s the main point of the program and we’re inspiring participants to take action after the session.”
