Architects of Change is a collaborative project focusing on sustainability education. It adopts academic research and supervisory experience to guide the March students to be “changemakers” within the Built Environment community, placing them at the heart of an education programme for local business leaders on issues such as net-zero emission buildings, renewable technology, and reducing material emissions. Phase 1 (2020-21) developed a training manual published on Pure and a set of workshops.
Phase 1 aimed to afford a new generation of architects the chance to lead critical conversations on what civic, business and thought leaders should know about climate mitigation and Net Zero buildings, and how to implement these sustainable practices within their organisations. In turn the project afforded staff the opportunity to deliver a learning experience that encouraged shared ownership, providing a radical shift to the ‘typical’ student experience, hence supporting the Learning and Teaching strategy that prioritises student employability, active learning and an integrated curriculum.
The success of this partnership led to development of Phase 2 (funded by NIHE) which involves Schools Outreach. AoC Phase 2 aims to reach society at the opposite end of the maturity continuum by focusing on environmental education for KS2 and KS3 pupils (in schools selected on the basis of our WAP indicators). Phase 2 has so far delivered 23 workshops to 4 schools. Due to the project’s impact, the team has received its third year of funding for an updated model of regional engagement – aimed for schools located in Derry/Londonderry and Coleraine.