Caravans

Heathbrook Primary School

The Heathbrook Primary School caravan entry is the result of a project run by Our Hut a small voluntary organisation set up to teach primary school children about architecture and design. The competition caught our attention as we thought that it would capture the children's imaginations - they all love the idea of camping and caravanning and it was the chance to participate in a real-life event!

We began the workshops by reading Toad's eulogy in Kenneth Graham's Wind in The Willows, looking at lots of inspiring images and visiting a motor home parked in the playground (thank you Sarah and Trevor!). The children worked together in small groups, developing ideas and making their models. These show a section of the caravan /motor home, which allowed the children to put in lots of interior details, and the overall shape of the exterior. The next generation of caravan and motor home users were concerned with: making their designs environmentally friendly; using funky colours and materials on the outside as well the interiors; incorporating neat space saving ideas; and comfort and lots of entertainment featured strongly too!

The project was run over two days in two Year 5 classes and was funded by Lambeth Endowed Charities.

It is great news that Heathbrook's entry has been selected by the judges of the Caravan of the Future competition. We hope that they will go on feeling confident about the skills they acquired in the future as designers, makers and consumers. The children were taken on a trip to the Design Museum with their prize money.

Our Hut: ourhut@hotmail.com