Joined Up Design for Schools

What if you put pupils in charge of improving their schools? This book tells the story of how a charity joined up schoolchildren from all over Britain with some of the best designers in the world and did just that.
The pupils were the clients, commissioning a dazzling array of international designers and architects, including Richard Rogers Partnership, Paul Smith, Will Alsop, Marks Barfield, Thomas Heatherwick, Wolff Olins, Seymourpowell, Conran & Partners, Priestman Goode and Kevin McCloud. They were briefed to design inspiring learning and social spaces; more civilized dinner halls and canteens; safer, more hygienic toilets; good communications; new storage systems; better uniforms and to improve schools' reputations and identities. During the process, the pupils discovered a host of new skills, the sort of skills employers are crying out for, such as problem-solving, reasoning, teamworking, communication, negotiation, citizenship and self-belief.
This book describes in detail how the results of this pioneering collaboration could change our schools for the future.