Hearts, Minds & Megastructures
Kris Barry of SIX AD, meets with Y2 pupils at Malin Bridge Primary School in Sheffield, to explain the importance of the smallest parts in the biggest of structures.
At some point on a family walk on a wet Autumn Sunday, Maisie, my six year old daughter, mentioned that along with her Y2 cohort, she was investigating ‘Megastructures’ as her school topic. The thought immediately popped in to my head, that this was loosely in my field of expertise and that it may be the one and only ‘Career Day’, ‘Bring Your Parent to School’ opportunity that I will ever have. In retrospect, it was a very rewarding experience and I hope to get a call back next year. And the year after. And maybe even the year after that.
There will not be blood... for now
I distinctly remember the Emergency Services career days at Whale Hill Primary School in the mid 1980s. I remember the thrill of watching the German Shepherd tear across the school field and bring down the police officer as he impersonated a portly criminal; at the time, we weren’t even disappointed that there was no blood. The innocence of youth. I also remember the ear-piercing shriek of the air valve opened by the Police diver and the broad grin across his face as every child and teacher raced to cover their ears. Once again, the gruesome purpose of this man’s profession was overlooked; we were kids and he had intriguing equipment and an exciting job. That was enough.
Those memories are still fresh in my mind more than a quarter of a century later. I think I must have missed the lesson where it was pointed out that some serious study was required in order to make it in to a profession that really excited you and in that respect I’m fortunate that my natural abilities overlap with my natural interests. I’ve drawn and designed things for as long as I can remember. I’ve completely ruined appliances by ‘reverse engineering' them only to be chastised before having the opportunity to reassemble said equipment. I’ve been electrocuted a number of times in the name of exploration.
These experiences of growing up, being inspired, finding our heroes and even impersonating them, are the things that make us who we are. An imagination that is never inspired, or is perhaps oppressed and stifled in some way, is a tragedy. As a society, we all pay the price for the children that have no ambition, no role models and as hard as it is to write, a very bleak future.
If there was an opportunity to inspire a group of school children to think beyond the extent of their borders of experience, then I was going to take it. Over two sessions, on the 27th September 2011 and the 18th October 2011, I paid a visit to Malin Bridge Primary School to gauge the state of construction knowledge.
“Did you design the Eiffel Tower?”
“How do you become an ‘arse-itect’?”
I might have taken offence at that example, but for the age of the enquirer. Many priceless questions and eager answers. ‘Cardboard’ can indeed be used as a material for building things – I’ve personally made a chair out of cardboard before. Yes, football stadiums are a kind of Megastructure – the answer remains ‘yes’ throughout the twenty times that I hear the same response. You don’t have to be a psychologist to see what and whom are inspiring this group of children. The earnest responses in trying to achieve the SIX AD ‘Build It Big’ sticker, was as much reward as I would ask for.
The scale of reference is very interesting. When you’re six everything seems bigger than when you’re an adult, but I commend Malin Bridge School for broaching this subject. If our frame of reference is never challenged, if we never extend our thinking beyond what we know, then we’re less able to deal with the reality of new experiences, new places and new people. In Hillsborough, leisure centres and football stadiums are as big as it gets, but these children told me what they already knew about the Burj Dubai, 30 St Mary Axe (‘The Gherkin’) and of course the Giza Pyramids. There is a big wide world out there, but I suspect it will get smaller during their lifetime.
One of my favourite things from childhood was Lego; that’s perhaps why I’ve gone on to become an Architect. The saying goes that if it had been substituted with Meccano, I might have gone in to engineering; I shudder at the thought of that near miss. Having been very patient and allowing me to indulge in my modest self-aggrandisement, they had earned the practical demonstration of structures that I hoped would be remembered for some time to come; I thought it stood a good chance, partly because it involved Lego bricks, but also because it involved ‘Duplo Dave’s Dice with Death’.
Duplo Dave (the builder) stood under a 30cm ruler (a beam if you will), laid between two supporting Duplo props. A very willing and conscientious volunteer easily pushed the beam on to Duplo Dave’s head and knocked him over. Don’t worry, Dave was okay – he was wearing a hard hat. We went on to repeat the experiment, but this time, the ‘beam’ was turned so that its edge was on the props, with the other edge pointing to the ceiling. The same assistant pressed hard on the ruler, so hard in fact that I had to call a halt before the boy lost his fingers. Even the teachers were impressed with that little demonstration.
I explained to the children, if you remember this secret, you can learn how to build Megastructures.
Some materials like to be squashed.
Some materials like to be stretched.
I encouraged the children to think about that and to look at the building materials that they saw on the way home .
All Megastructures are assemblies of much smaller elements. These children are all small components in the Megastructure that is human civilisation. So much potential and so much responsibility. I said earlier, that I will never turn down the opportunity to inspire. I suppose that is the ultimate opportunity that we have through Architecture + Design.
There are many noble professions to capture that spark of wonder in our children and future generations. Medicine ensures the continuity of life. Those that create and enforce the law ensure the continuity of order.
Architecture records the narrative of human history. It’s the physical legacy that we leave behind and the heritage of future generations. It’s the frame of reference at the periphery of experience for our children as they grow up and it contributes to shaping their aspirations. Every building counts.
I think I learned as much from observing those children as I hope they they did from listening to me. KB
