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Mulberry School for Girls
Working with the lead artist, Scott Burnham and architect Andrew Siddall, Metal created an multi-disciplinary, artist-led investigation with the students into their understanding of shared social spaces, their social and learning activities and preferences, their design language and issues around sustainability and ecology.
The work was funded through an Arts and Business Grant, as well as some investment from the school itself. Construction work on the courtyards is due to be finished in September 2004. This work is part of a wider investigation by Metal into the possibilities of participatory design projects which enable communities of all different sorts to affect change in their environment and neighbourhood.
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Mulberry School for girls in Tower Hamlets is currently undergoing an entire redevelopment under the government’s PFI scheme to improve school design and facilities. Metal was asked to create a process which involved the school’s pupils and teachers in the re-imagining of their four new outdoor spaces.
The work with the students led to sophisticated and subtle design ideas for all the courtyards which reflect their aspirations, moods, tastes and provide active, inspiring environments which can be used for both social activities and throughout the learning day.
“A conventional build would not have had this impact. It’s taken things way beyond what the conventional architect and builder would dream of putting down. And there was huge educational value. We’re going to use the photos taken by the pupils in the new building because some of them are such good quality they would challenge David Bailey. The descriptive writing that’s come out verges on literature. Metal has been incredible in terms of taking the pupils ideas and making them into something workable.” Marlene Robottom, Headteacher, Mulberry School for Girls