Design Quest: Dream House Challenge - In-person workshop

About the Workshop

Design Quest: Dream House Challenge

Monday 28th October 2024, 11am to 4pm

For children aged 7 to 10 years old.

Imagine you could design the most brilliant house you’ve ever seen: Bright and exciting with everything you could possibly need or want –paddling pool, ball-pit room, roof-top star-garden, a walk-in cold cupboard for your ice cream collection, and a super slide which zooms you right into the loveliest snuggest bedroom you could possibly imagine - everything you could need to get on with living your best life!

But – there’s always a catch – we don’t actually have that much space, because of all these other things that are in the way, like tube lines, trees, mountains and other people’s Dream Houses. But, could all those funny-shaped spaces actually make us make the best buildings? We think you’re ready for this challenge!

Inspired by the exhibition Difficult Sites: Architecture Against the Odds, this workshop invites participants to find imaginative solutions to building their very own dream living space in really awkward places. We will work as a team in a series of games and practical challenges, looking at negative shapes and spaces, considering the particular qualities of different sites and structures, then exploring the properties of different materials, before designing and modelling their very own individual brilliant, beautiful funny-shaped house.

This creative architecture workshop is led by artist educator Zoe Allen for children aged 7 to 10 years.

Zoe Allen is an artist and educator who makes collage, assemblage, sculpture, and paintings. She uses materials foraged from sites which have particular meanings or memories, re-purposing these to create new conversations. Zoe also has a collaborative practice in which she works with other artists to create large scale installation informed by architectural forms and mechanisms.

About the Workshop Series

For ages 7-10, our Design Quest workshops inspire younger children to use their imagination and hands-on creativity for a fun introduction to architecture. Previous workshops have seen participants create optical illusions, design sustainable dens, build stage sets, develop an animated story around a public space or assemble a house for a mouse.

Based in London, mainly our HQ at 66 Portland Place, all participants must arrive by 11am. These workshops are led by professional educators and all materials are included in the ticket price, but lunch is not provided.

If you're under 18, tickets must be booked by a parent or guardian. Online booking in advance is essential and if we do not receive full registration information in advance of the event we cannot allow the participant to attend.

Some of our workshops involve a visit to an offsite location that is designed to enhance the learning experience and provide vital real-world context. Children are supervised by RIBA staff and volunteers at all times during such visits and location information is provided in advance.

To see other learning workshops taking place in this series, see our families and children page.

Terms and Conditions

• Tickets for participants under the age of 18 must be booked by a parent or guardian and advance online registration is essential. Bookings made on behalf of someone else still require advance online registration and it is your responsibility to share the registration form with that person. If we do not receive full registration information in advance of the event we cannot allow the participant to attend.
• We can offer a full refund up to 30 days in advance of the event start date. Thereafter, we cannot offer a refund or transfer. Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected].
• We reserve the right to alter the advertised content of events.
• In the unlikely event we need to cancel we will contact all ticket holders as soon as possible to rearrange or offer a full refund. We cannot reimburse or compensate for travel or other associated costs.
• On entry to the event participants agree to behave in an appropriate manner; the RIBA reserves the right to remove participants who behave inappropriately from events and request their immediate collection by parents/guardians.
• The details you provide will be used in accordance with the RIBA's GDPR obligations. For information on how we will handle your personal data please see our Privacy Policy at www.architecture.com.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place, London, United Kingdom