Senses of Place
Whole School Exemplars
A+DS Schools Programme
Gareth Hoskins Architects
THE TOOLBOX: a proposal for learning in the city
garethhoskinsarchitects
Senses of Place
Contents
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1. Introduction
2. Context
2.1 Educational Brief
2.2 ‘The Everyday’
2.3 Approach
3. Toolbox Inventory
3.1 Overview
3.2 Detailed Description
4. The Container and Storage
4.1 Bag/Box/Case
5. Example Exercises
5.1 Developing exercises - relevance to curriculum
5.2 Shadow City
5.3 Touchy City
5.4 Edible City
5.5 Sound City
6. A Way Forward
Bibliography
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Senses of Place
1. Introduction
This document represents the outcome from the second phase of a research
project commissioned by Architecture + Design Scotland as part of their Whole
School Exemplars programme entitled ‘Senses of Place’. Gareth Hoskins Architects
were commissioned to develop a theme from their work in the earlier phase and to
consider how the implementation of a project which addresses this theme might be
replicable and applicable to many schools, and how it might change the learning
experience for those students. The broad aim was to demonstrate ways in which
well-designed learning environments could support delivery of the new Curriculum
for Excellence and changes in teaching methods. ‘Learning environments’ are
understood to include not just school buildings and their grounds, but potentially the
wider environment also.
For the first phase of the Senses of Place research project (2008), we proposed a
collection of interventions in a series of rural settings around the case-study school in
Orkney. The intention was to establish unique learning environments in each of these
settings (hill, forest, field et cetera), but to do so in a way which gently re-orientated
the pupils to this very familiar setting in such a way as to force them to look anew
at their environment. This aspect of the project, intended to distort a familiar and
ordinary place so as to enable its special but overlooked qualities to be seen
afresh and its hitherto concealed secrets to be told, seemed to suggest particularly
interesting possibilities.
We have chosen the city itself as the setting for this development of the project,
and are asking the question “How can we distort the students’ perception of their
city such that the familiar, ordinary and everyday become instructive, enchanting,
compelling and inspiring?” In answering this question we hope to establish a learning
environment outwith the walls of a school, but more importantly to engender an
attitude towards the city which enriches the students’ learning as a whole and which
induces in them an invaluable sensitivity to the world around.
Gareth Hoskins Architects
30 April 2009
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Senses of Place
03
04
08
12
14
20
1. Introduction
2. Context
2.1 Educational Brief
2.2 ‘The Everyday’
2.3 An Approach
3. Toolbox Inventory
3.1 Overview
3.2 Detailed Description
4. The Container and Storage
4.1 Bag/Box/Case
5. Example Exercises
5.1 Developing exercises - relevance to curriculum
5.2 Shadow City
5.3 Touchy City
5.4 Edible City
5.5 Sound City
6. A Way Forward
garethhoskinsarchitects 5
Senses of Place
2.1 Educational Brief
This Senses of Place research is partly a response to the Keir Bloomer position
paper ‘Emerging Educational Brief: Senses of Place 3-18’ which establishes three
priorities for the potential redevelopment of the secondary school estate in Dumfries.
Below are outlined the objectives for our response to these priorities:
Priority 1 ‘operate on a human scale’
This proposal is indefinitely scalable - that is it can be pursued by a single pupil or by
an entire nation of pupils at once. Furthermore, by means of enriching one’s personal
connection to it, the proposals seek to actively humanise the scale of the city, which
can at times be a frightening, noisy, busy and alienating place for children.
Priority 2 ‘facilitate improved continuity of educational experience from pre-school
through primary and secondary education and into lifelong learning’
Because this project is explicitly located outwith any particular school building
or timetable, and is concerned with engendering a general sensitivity to the built
environment, the skills which it teaches and the lessons which are learned are not
limited to a particular age group or stage.
Priority 3 ‘establish an environment that assists implementation of the principles of
Curriculum for Excellence.’
The principles of independent learning, flexibly formed learning groups and cross-
curricular and interdisciplinary study are very strongly reflected in the proposals. In
particular, the notion that schooling is not an end in itself but part of a process of
lifelong learning is deeply embedded in the proposals - we are providing a model to
inspire an enriched sensory participation with the world as a whole which will persist
as a lifelong spirit of imaginative curiosity.
2. Context
diagram: The Curriculum for Excellence - The Four Capacities
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Senses of Place
2. Context
2.2 ‘The Everyday’
This project is fundamentally concerned with the capacity for the ordinary
experiences of everyday life to be instructive, captivating, and informative if looked
at in a particular way. Indeed, it is our belief that the city itself can be a museum, a
library, a playground, a laboratory and a classroom if looked at with the appropriate
care and imagination.
The writer George Perec’s view was ‘that we none of us give enough attention to
what is truly daily in our lives, to the banal habits, settings, and events of which these
lives almost entirely consist’. For him, the challenge is:
How should we take account of, question, describe what happens every day and
recurs every day: the banal, the quotidian, the obvious, the common, the ordinary,
the infraordinary, the background noise, the habitual ... To question the habitual. But
that’s just it, we’re habituated to it. We don’t question it, it doesn’t question us ...
The aim of this project is precisely to enable the everyday objects, places and
experiences of the city to be questioned by pupils, and in turn to enable these
objects, places and experiences to be used to question the pupils. For the city to be
used, in short, as the most exciting, multifarious and stimulating learning environment
imaginable.
As the graphic artists Michael Rock and Susan Sellers demonstrated in their late
1990s project ‘The Museum of the Ordinary’, the transformation of the ordinary and
everyday encounters of city life into a profoundly poetic learning experience requires
for the relationship between the citizen and the city to be gently transformed. Their
project delineated a number of blocks of downtown Manhattan and named it a
museum. In this way, ‘the permanent collection consists of all the designed objects
within the perimeter of the Museum: therefore the collection is in a constant state
of acquisition and divestiture’. The collection therefore contained water hydrants,
manhole covers, streetlights, window frames, door handles, candy wrappers,
clothing, vehicles, edibles, kerbstones and fly posters. Small information labels were
attached to certain objects to communicate their history and provenance, cordons
were strung in front of certain others, and guards appeared to ‘imbue some defended
object with a temporary value’. The public was invited to look anew at these familiar
things and enrich their understanding of their environment.
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Senses of Place
2. Context
2.3 An Approach
In our proposals, we aim to bring about a distortion of the everyday encounters of city
life as a means to both invite pupils to question those encounters and to allow those
encounters to ask questions of the pupils. Like the Rock and Sellers project, instead
of distorting the places of the city themselves by built intervention (with the obvious
expense, logistical difficulties, ownership complications and statutory permissions
which that would entail) we would propose to distort the way in which they are looked
at, experienced, and therefore thought about by the pupils. If pupils can be equipped
in some way to be able to look carefully and differently at their familiar urban
surroundings, then these familiar places can become inspiring and instructive.
In the following pages, we propose a toolbox. It shall contain tools which equip the
pupils to look at, understand, and use their city in new and provocative ways. We
shall demonstrate how the use of some perfectly ordinary tools in some perfectly
ordinary urban conditions can result in extraordinary new perspectives on the city,
and in doing so both achieve particular learning outcomes associated with particular
curricular areas, and more generally (and perhaps more importantly) equip the pupils
with a greater critical sensitivity about their environment.
garethhoskinsarchitects 8
Senses of Place
03
04
08
12
14
20
1. Introduction
2. Context
2.1 Educational Brief
2.2 ‘The Everyday’
2.3 An Approach
3. Toolbox Inventory
3.1 Overview
3.2 Detailed Description
4. The Container and Storage
4.1 Bag/Box/Case
5. Example Exercises
5.1 Developing exercises - relevance to curriculum
5.2 Shadow City
5.3 Touchy City
5.4 Edible City
5.5 Sound City
6. A Way Forward
garethhoskinsarchitects 9
Senses of Place
3. Toolbox Inventory
In no particular order, the following tools are included:
scissors
jam jar
ball of string
binoculars
digital camera
stick of chalk
clothes peg
dictaphone
paper bag
ear plugs
hand mirror
pencil and paper
magnifying glass
salt and pepper
wooly mittens
stopwatch
The tools are intended to be relatively cheap, readily replaceable, familiar and easy
to use, and robust. It is precisely their everyday character which qualifies them for
inclusion.
3.1 Overview
SCISSORS
150mm(l) x 55mm(w) x 10mm(h)
used to cut
CAMERA
110mm(l) x 25mm(w) x 65mm(h)
used to document happenings and record
sights
JAM JAR
75mm(l) x 75mm(w) x 95mm(h)
used to contain things of a wet or animate
nature and to capture smells
STICK OF CHALK
85mm(l) x 10mm(w) x 10mm(h)
used to make removable marks and white
dust
BALL OF STRING
60mm(l) x 60mm(w) x 60mm(h)
used to delineate, to measure, to tie together
CLOTHES PEG
85mm(l) x 20mm(w) x 15mm(h)
used to hold things together and to arrest the
sense of smell
BINOCULARS
140mm(l) x 115mm(w) x 55mm(h)
used to view distant objects, animals and
people
DICTAPHONE
75mm(l) x 25mm(w) x 125mm(h)
used to record sounds and conversations
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Senses of Place
3. Toolbox Inventory
3.2 Detailed Description
PAPER BAG
250mm(l) x 210mm(w) x 5mm(h)
used to contain things of a dry nature and
store unperishable edibles
MAGNIFYING GLASS
155mm(l) x 65mm(w) x 10mm(h)
used to distort sights and to get a better view
of nearby objects
EAR PLUGS
25mm(l) x 10mm(w) x 20mm(h)
used to simulate silence or to hear the sound
of one’s own pulse
SALT AND PEPPER
90mm(l) x 45mm(w) x 110mm(h)
used to distort tastes or hold paper flat in high
winds
HAND MIRROR
195mm(l) x 90mm(w) x 15mm(h)
used to see things from a different perspective
WOOLY MITTENS
195mm(l) x 95mm(w) x 20mm(h)
used to keep warm and temporarily disable
the sense of touch
PENCIL AND PAPER
210mm(l) x 295mm(w) x 20mm(h)
used to record words, drawings, or rubbings
STOPWATCH
65mm(l) x 75mm(w) x 10mm(h)
used to keep time
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Senses of Place
3. Toolbox Inventory
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Senses of Place
03
04
08
12
14
20
1. Introduction
2. Context
2.1 Educational Brief
2.2 ‘The Everyday’
2.3 An Approach
3. Toolbox Inventory
3.1 Overview
3.2 Detailed Description
4. The Container and Storage
4.1 Bag/Box/Case
5. Example Exercises
5.1 Developing exercises - relevance to curriculum
5.2 Shadow City
5.3 Touchy City
5.4 Edible City
5.5 Sound City
6. A Way Forward
garethhoskinsarchitects 13
Senses of Place
4. The Container and Storage
4.1 Bag/Box/Case
There is a tremendous range of ways in which people commonly store, organise and
transport their possessions. The different methods of storage and transportation have
different connotations and therefore condition how one thinks about the contents. For
example, a magnifying glass stored in a satin- and felt-lined jewellery box will not be
thought of in the same way as an identical one stored in a supermarket plastic bag.
The container for this project’s tools - the ‘toolbox’ - will therefore be an important part
of establishing the useability of the collection, the attitude which the pupils will have
towards it, and the ‘tone’ of the project.
We require storage and transportation which is:
1. stackable (for storage at school)
2. light and mobile (especially for younger children)
3. protective (to ensure the safety of the tools)
4. robust (to survive repeated use and misuse)
5. distinctive and identifiable (to raise awareness of the project)
6. customizable (according to school / agegroup / project)
Importantly, the means of storage and transportation must communicate the seeming
contradiction at the heart of the project - on one hand the everyday character of
the tools within, and on the other that they will be put to special and unusual use.
The tools must seem both ordinary and banal, and, when assembled in this strange
collection, precious and exciting.
Although the design of the ‘toolbox’ is outwith the scope of this study, it is hoped that
a full size prototype which addresses the above brief can be developed as the project
moves forward.
garethhoskinsarchitects 14
Senses of Place
03
04
08
12
14
20
1. Introduction
2. Context
2.1 Educational Brief
2.2 ‘The Everyday’
2.3 An Approach
3. Toolbox Inventory
3.1 Overview
3.2 Detailed Description
4. The Container and Storage
4.1 Bag/Box/Case
5. Example Exercises
5.1 Developing exercises - relevance to curriculum
5.2 Shadow City
5.3 Touchy City
5.4 Edible City
5.5 Sound City
6. A Way Forward
garethhoskinsarchitects 15
Senses of Place
5.1 Developing exercises - relevance to curriculum
The development of the Curriculum for Excellence has been progressing since 2002.
The most significant recent development was the launch of the ‘Experience and
Outcomes’ guidance (April 2009), which describes the expectations for learning and
progression in all areas of the curriculum.
The guidance states that ‘this material is for all who contribute to the education
of Scotland’s children and young people. The experiences and outcomes apply
wherever learning is planned’, and recognises the importance of ‘the quality and
nature of the learning experience in developing attributes and capabilities and in
achieving active engagement’.
It goes on that, ‘... Important themes such as, enterprise, citizenship, sustainable
development, international education and creativity need to be developed in a range
of contexts’.
In developing a resource that can be used outwith the school in a variety of urban
environments, our proposals directly address the need develop learning in a range of
contexts that enrich the learning experience. More importantly, the inherent flexibility
of the toolbox and the city’s infinite capacity to offer interest and inspiration, allow for
an extraordinary range of exercises to be designed which reveal and encourage a
deeper engagement with the sensory stimuli of urban life.
The Experiences and Outcomes guidance is structured under the headings of eight
curriculum areas and subjects. The wide range of activities that are possible utilising
the toolbox contribute to all the curriculum areas and subjects and also provide
opportunities for a range of cross curricular activities to address specific items listed
in the experiences and outcomes guidance.
5. Example Exercises
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5. Example Exercises
5.2 Shadow City
LOCATION:
Public square with statues
TOOLS:
Stick of chalk and camera
EXERCISE:
trace the shadow of a statue directly onto the ground with the stick of chalk. Repeat
every hour for a whole day. Photograph the marks and pattern created.
ELABORATIONS:
calculate height of statue and angle of sun from markings
research the figure in the statue and the sculptor
make drawings / prints inspired by the pattern you have created
diagram: tracing a statue’s shadow
diagram: marks on the ground
5.3 Touchy City
LOCATION:
Streets
TOOLS:
pencil and paper, and wooly mittens
EXERCISE:
Work in pairs. One pupil must touch as many different objects as possible (traffic light
buttons, different textures of stone walls, door handles, shop windows, pavement,
kerb stone etc). and describe the texture to the other pupil who will be wearing wooly
gloves. Together make a rubbing of each object studied.
ELABORATIONS:
design and produce clay tiles which relate to the variety of textures experienced
learn about material properties - why some materials feel cold, warm, soft, hard
research where in the world the materials which make the city came from originally
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5. Example Exercises
5.4 Edible City
LOCATION:
City park
TOOLS:
Scissors, salt and pepper, and clothes peg
EXERCISE:
Collect fruit from fruit trees, herbs, and edible flowers from the park to complement
your picnic. Use combinations of salt, pepper and the clothes peg on your nose to
notice how the food tastes.
ELABORATIONS:
learn about ‘food miles’ and research where common foodstuffs come from
cook a meal on the basis of what has been learned about seasonings and herbs
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5. Example Exercises
5.5 Sound City
LOCATION:
Anywhere and everywhere
TOOLS:
Dictaphone, earplugs,
EXERCISE:
put in earplugs. Go for a walk in the city with your dictaphone turned on and notice
how different everything seems without the sound. Later, as a group try to identify
which recordings were made in which places.
ELABORATIONS:
write and record a piece of music inspired by the sounds of the city
research the science of sound, hearing and deafness, and learn about sign language
seek out recordings of other cities, wildlife, and music from around the world
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5. Example Exercises
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Senses of Place
03
04
08
12
14
20
1. Introduction
2. Context
2.1 Educational Brief
2.2 ‘The Everyday’
2.3 An Approach
3. Toolbox Inventory
3.1 Overview
3.2 Detailed Description
4. The Container and Storage
4.1 Bag/Box/Case
5. Example Exercises
5.1 Developing exercises - relevance to curriculum
5.2 Shadow City
5.3 Touchy City
5.4 Edible City
5.5 Sound City
6. A Way Forward
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6.1 What next?
We view this document not as an end in itself, but as the first step in developing an
inspiring, flexible and replicable learning experience - a final tool inventory, a design
for storage, and a formalised methodology for developing exercises for use with the
toolbox. To embark upon this process, and to test the proposals contained in this
document for their impact in practice on the learning experience, we need to do two
important things.
1. Develop a prototype
This stage involves developing a range of further exercises, refining the tool inventory
on the basis of these, formalising the exercises in a document or as worksheets, and
developing a physical prototype of the container / storage solution for the proposed
tools. This will provide us with a prototype of the Toolbox project.
2. Workshops / Testing
Having produced a prototype, we would like to test it in a workshop environment. We
would carry out a range of the proposed exercises developed as part of the Toolbox
with pupils from a range of ages and in a range of urban conditions. The feedback
- from both pupils and teachers - would form the basis for further refinement of the
proposals. The outcome would be a final proposal for the Toolbox project which could
be produced, replicated and used by teachers without specialist input.
Ultimately, it is only by securing the resources required to pursue the project as
outlined above that its significant value to the learning experience can be definitively
demonstrated.
6. A Way Forward
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Keir Bloomer, Emerging Educational Brief Senses of Place 3-18 (unpublished)
George Perec, Species of Spaces and Other Pieces (Penguin, London, 1999)
Michael Rock and Susan Sellers, The Museum of the Ordinary, published in the
journal Eye, no. 28 vol. 7 Summer 1998 pp 32-35
Curriculum for Excellence website:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence/
Bibliography