Education Programmes

Young visitor to 30 St Mary's Axe during Open House London WeekendArchitecture and the built environment is something that has an impact on all our daily lives but it is the one thing we generally don’t learn about.

Open House believes that archiecture and the built environment can be fabulous learning resources and always strives to open young people's eyes and minds to the subject.

Open House Learning programmes are recognised for their innovation and excellence. Over the past ten years, Open House has worked closely with schools, educational bodies, youth centres and architects to devise and deliver cutting-edge learning experiences for young people across London.

Open House Learning constantly strives to support the delivery of curriculum objectives through architecture and unlock opportunities for young people in informal contexts to experience and engage with ideas about their own built environment. Our work is always experimental but our goal is to create learning legacies - long-term sustainable programmes that are relevant to everyday life.

Open House seeks to inspire students and teachers with direct experience of exemplary architecture, to provide creative opportunities to learn from and about architecture, and to empower young people to have their say about the future of their own built environment. We are supported by an eminent and experienced group from the worlds of education, architecture and business, which offer a sounding board for our initiatives and programmes and informs and inspires their constant evolution.

Our Audiences

  • Formal learning: primary & secondary students and teachers (Key Stages 2- 4) as with our Junior Open House and Open Up programmes
  • Informal learning: Archikids: 7 – 12 year olds; My City Too: 13-16 year olds; families and
    architects

Our Aims

  • To engage young people with the built environment by providing them with direct experience of exemplary architecture
  • To bring young people and architects together to unpack architectural ideas and explore the design process
  • To provide a platform for young people to have their say about the future of their built environment and develop creative skills to express their ideas
  • To inspire and excite young people to learn from, through and about architecture and the built environment
  • To provide teachers with opportunities to enhance their understanding of architecture and further develop skills to deliver creative and effective built environment learning programmes
  • To equip architects with skills to work with young people and develop methodologies to ensure the delivery of high quality learning experiences.