The Architectural Thinking School for Children teaches architectural thinking as a tool for understanding the modern global world. We took the architect's work as a model, since they possess a huge range of knowledge and skills: they are good at conducting research, using knowledge from completely different disciplines, creating projects, and presenting them to the public. The systems thinking possessed by a professional architect is what we call architectural thinking.
It was founded in 2016 in Minsk by the architect Alexander Novikov and the art critic and designer Elena Karpilova, as an institution of supplementary education.
In June 2021, in the aftermath of the mass protests that erupted across the country following the disputed 2020 Belarusian presidential election, a call for shelter was sent by their founders. The Lisbon Triennale immediately offered to help and a
first presentation of the school and its methodology was organised in December 2021 together with Plano Nacional das Artes and support from EGEAC and Ordem dos Arquitectos. This was the inception of an adventurous process that ended up with the relaunching of the Architectural Thinking School for Children at Palácio Sinel de Cordes. An increasing number of refugee children arriving to Portugal from the countries affected by the war in Ukraine gradually grew the number of classes taught by the brave Belarusian couple.
Its programme is organised in accordance with the principle of "one year, one course". The courses are: Development, Systems Thinking, Interdisciplinarity-1, 2, City Research, and "Professions-1, 2". Each course is divided into four quarters, in which the student completes classes in different studios to create a final project: a book, a film, a map of the city, etc.
Systems thinking course is currently the available option combining knowledge from different fields. For 6-14 year olds, each semester consists of 19 workshops, 3 hours each.
BASIC SKILLS (1st quarter)
Students receive knowledge from miscellaneous artistic disciplines such as sculpture, contemporary art, architecture, street art and photography. Students will develop basic skills in drawing, writing, paper modelling and storytelling. They get acquainted with vernacular architecture, learn to draw a plan, facade and section and design houses according to climate and local materials.
ARCHITECTURE (2nd quarter)
Students study architectural structures and create their models with spaghetti, get acquainted with contemporary art and learn the secrets of an image, learn the hidden qualities of simple geometrical forms and create sculptures, study how a person perceives architecture and what architectural atmosphere is. Students design projects and make models of their single-family houses, and write the description notes. A school exhibition is organised to present their projects to the public.
BOOK (3rd quarter)
Students work on creating their own books. Students write a story, create a comic, pop-up, cover, design the interior in which the action takes place, and even shoot a book trailer together with the group. In the end each will be given an electronic version of his book, which becomes a final result and product of an educational programme.
CINEMA (4th quarter)
Students get acquainted with the art of cinematography and create their own film as a group, writing a script, designing costumes and scenery. They gain experience in stop-motion and shadow theater, create movie credits and a poster for the film. Real shootings are organised where everyone can play his role as an actor, director, cameraman, etc. In the end there is a public film screening.
In 2022 it was recognized as the Best International Organisation by the Thornton Education Trust in London (Inspire Future Generations Awards).
