On March 21^st 2024, the Fondazione AEM headquarters in Milan, will host the Round Table presenting the outcomes of the  project ‘School of Architecture and Design for Children’.

An exhibition featuring the projects of the primary schools children involved, will show the result of the first pilot experiment, that may be repeated in other primary schools.

The “School of Architecture and Design for Children” educational path encourages the youngest children to evaluate the built environment and helps them develop a new perception of the natural environment, it also focuses on the built environment and the relationship between space around them using a holistic approach. The inspiration for this project comes from the fact that children are among the most important users of our cities and it is crucial to provide them with the skills and tools to positively influence the development of our future environment.

The initiative – devised by architect Linda Poletti in collaboration with professor Ilaria Oberti of the Politecnico di Milano,  ABC Department – involved two 5th year classes of the Luigi Cadorna Primary School in Milan (from November 15 th 2023 and March 15^th 2024). During these months the 44 children were able to learn about the different aspects of an architectural project, thanks also to the contribution of teachers from Politecnico.

During the stage at the Politecnico on December 12^th, 2023, the staff of the Supplies and Facility Management Department (Eleonora Perotto, Veronica D’Arrico) together with DICA researchers (Giulia Cavenago, Beatrice Cantoni), showed the children how, thanks to our behaviour, we can produce less waste and better manage what we produce.

They also had the opportunity to reflect on the water consumption and its characteristics. This educational path was a sort of journey of discovery in 12 lessons, about the relationship between man and the built environment, both theoretical and practical. Politecnico di Milano lecturers hosted the pupils in their classrooms, letting them interact with the students, and in some of the University’s laboratories. Among these, the Textile Hub where the children had an immersive experience in the technical textiles for architecture laboratory, and the MaBa.SAPERLab where they explored the possibility of constructing buildings while reducing their environmental footprint, thanks to the use of sustainable materials.

The project, sponsored by Municipality 7/Municipality of Milan, was supported by Fondazione AEM, with  the participation of the Department of Architecture, Construction Engineering and the Built Environment (ABC) of the Politecnico di Milano, the Association of Architects of the Province of Milan, the Association of Engineers of the Province of Milan, the Caldara Association and AIDIA (Italian Association of Women Engineers and Architects).