An architect designs houses. That sounds easy. But what if you suddenly take on the role of the designer? Students of the Essen Burg Grammar school met this challenge in the KZA office.
The autumn academy of the school led the high school students of the eleventh grade into the Essen architectural office. The one-day workshop was part of a project week on career orientation. Among other things, the young people got to know different occupations in practice – tailored to their preferences and interests.
„I like to design things – so I think about working in an architectural office later,“ said one of the workshop participants, 17-year-old Lor. In the office KZA she was able to find out if her wish could withstand a practical test.
After a short introduction, the students were allowed to work practically in the workshop. Their task: to construct a house, planned for a fictional plot, designed with „real“ software. They got support from Marcel Roling, Chris Moog and Abdalhaseeb Hajzain. The three members of the KZA team were able to give the young people a very clear idea of what makes their work so special.
At the same time, they pointed how the industry will be develop within the next few years. „Influences from the IT sector are increasing. That’s why the ability to program is becoming increasingly important to architects and draftsmen, „said Marcel Roling.
Tour with virtual reality headsets
The topic of virtual reality (VR) was particularly well received by the young people. Many did not want to give away the VR headset anymore. Using it, the students „wandered“ through a virtual building model and experienced what is already possible today in the presentation of digitally planned architecture.
And it was precisely these practical experiences that brought new insights for the high school students. „I have a very clear idea of what you really do as an architect or draftsman now,“ said Handan. Her classmate Iman was also pleased with the course of the workshop.
„The opportunity to try all these things was something special,“ said the 16-year-old. „In addition, we had very intensive help if something did not work right away.“ Her interest in the architecture industry has further intensified, she said.
Support for many years
Sebastian Gramse liked the workshop, too, he said. The teacher (physics and sports) accompanied the 11th-graders into the architectural office – and went through the entire program with them. His conclusion was consistently positive: „I have heard from many students that this was the best workshop of the week. And if I had to study again and choose a subject, then I would definitely consider architecture. “
Koschany + Zimmer architects KZA have been partners of the project week at Burg Grammar school for many years. Further information on the school can be found on its website.
