06.24.19
Earlier this year Bora employees worked with teachers at McKinney Elementary School in Hillsboro, OR to build a curriculum entitled “Imagine the Future” as part of our annual participation in the Architects in Schools program.
The classes began with students practicing how to draw to scale and make different structural shapes like columns, arches, trusses, and domes. They learned about the relationship between owner, architect, and builder and were given imaginary “clients” with particular needs for whom they listed specific “design criteria” and then designed a house inside a shoe box.
Bora staff also led lessons on sustainability, discussing sustainable energy sources, biodiversity, and responsible design. The student’s evaluated their own school’s performance, as well as identified areas where they could introduce more sustainable practices.
The curriculum culminated with students collaborating to design a “city of the future”, first learning about infrastructure, agriculture, and the various components that make up a city before looking at examples of futuristic communities like Habitat 67, Biosphere 2, and Arcosanti. Working in small groups, they invented their city – first laid out as a map and then built in 3D.