A new Award for the “Sustainability, Architecture and the City” Workshop!
I am so happy to see that my “ Sustainability, Architecture and the City” workshop keeps getting recognized at an international level.
This time, it has been a recipient of the prestigious Advance HE Global Impact Grants for 2023-2024, together with other similar initiatives from selected higher education institutions throughout the world (kindly see more through this link: https://advance-he.ac.uk/membership/member-benefits-2023-24/global-impact-grants-2023-24?_ga=2.109818509.949978039.1715152029-731230546.1706508438#successful).
The workshop for Urban Regeneration in Abu Dhabi, is a collaborative effort between the Department of Architecture and Design of Abu Dhabi University (ADU) and Year 4 of The British International School Abu Dhabi. It was originally launched in the 2018-2019 AY and has already conducted four cycles (excluding the year of the Covid19 pandemic). Ever since, it has received two more international awards, it has been presented into several fora including the UIA2023CPH in Copenhagen and the COP28 in Dubai, it has been embedded into the Year 4 syllabus and most importantly it has been enjoyed by more than 400 students in total so far.
Advance HE offers higher education institutions worldwide opportunities for global knowledge sharing and learning. Through the Global Impact Awards, they invite members to share success stories about projects that have significantly benefited staff and students. Fifteen successful applicants, who submitted case studies aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and one of four subthemes (Education for Sustainable Development; Supporting Reduced Inequality and Sustainable Inclusion; Building Future Leaders; Delivering Strategic Change in Higher Education Sustainability), were each awarded a £1000 fund.
This year marks the fourth time that the Year 4 students have participated. Each year, our students are presented with a challenge by the University. This year, the task was to research and explore methods of cultivating food in a hot urban environment, along with strategies for recycling and reusing water. Additionally, the children delved into the life of Wangari Maathai and other seasoned environmental activists, before channelling their inspiration into a final piece of artwork. To give purpose to their work, our students hosted their very own 'COP 28' Sustainability conference, where they invited parents to school to share their learnings, present their findings, and encourage greater sustainability.
Congratulations extended to Ms. Sas Clarke, Ms. Hayley O’Connor, and Mr. James Burns and all the students involved! We are already looking forward to hearing more about what’s in store for next year!
