The Best School in the United Arab Emirates for Architecture that Inspires Children. Top Schools Awards 2023 Nomination and Entry Forms.
Below is the official entry form for the Top Schools Award for Best School for Architecture to Inspire Children. For this Award, we are looking for outstanding investment by schools in design and architecture that help bring education to life for students. It might be the smallest things – like the use of cushions and light in a Sixth Form designed to highlight the empowerment of children as they approach their graduating years at school and prepare for adulthood, or the development of designed corridor spaces to extended breakout learning, to a larger investment in the design of a whole school or new extension, with a theme or focus on, for example, sustainability, the natural world, light or the context of Emirati culture. The key is that we want to celebrate examples of how schools are thoughtfully recognising the importance of design in education, however that is done, rather than simply adopting the more functional “concrete box approach” to school buildings and their interior space for children.
For Schools
The Top Schools Award for Best School in the UAE for Architecture to Inspire Children in a UAE School 2023-24 – schools download application here.
For Parents and Students
Pictured: The Newtown School in Kolkata, India designed by Abin Design Studio. An example of how investment in inspiring architecture can transform the experiences of children in schools. The Designers comment: “[g]raphical representations of symbols, alphabets and numbers became an inspiration for the screen. Younger children relate to simple lines as letters of the alphabet and as they grow, abstractions of the same would start to look more like alpha, gamma and pi. Thus, Familiar shapes and symbols were used to create a bespoke stencil screen around the existing unremarkable building mass. The facade not only provides shade to the classrooms from the harsh sun but also lends the school a distinct identity.”
Parents and students – we want to hear from you! If you believe that the design of your school is extraordinary, beautiful and inspirational please email us with your answer to the simple question. “Which is your favourite part of your school’s design – and how does it make learning and coming to school happy and inspiring.” Please email us at [email protected].
The Top Schools Awards 2023-24
This year, the Top Schools Awards are celebrating outstanding achievement in our schools with a particular focus on how schools inspire children by linking all subject areas to bring the extraordinary wonders of the Arts, creativity, imagination – and freedom to experiment and innovate, into all areas of the curriculum including, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.[/caption]
We believe, passionately, that the Arts are absolutely fundamental to delivering an outstanding education for every child, one focused on the whole child and the gifts all children have to change the world for the better and make the difference – every day, and in the future. They bring STEM to life.
Rocket Girl
In November 2023, members of the TSA Space and Rocket programme completed first phase testing of the ImaginationTM powered Jet Pack specially manufactured for this year’s Awards. We are particularly grateful for the assistance of the extraordinary and accredited Rocket Pilot and Space Girl Naisha from GEMS Dubai American Academy (pictured) for her considerable, and quite, totally, awesome, bravery and kindness in completing Year 6 rocket pack inaugural flight testing.
Without her, and those many other children we visited across the UAE, none of this would have been possible. They made us… believe.
Further Information
Another example of inspirational school architecture from around the world. Here we see The Paul Chevallier School in Rillieux-la-Pape, Lyon France designed by Tectoniques Architects. The buildings combine a nursery and elementary school. The rooves carry wild poppies and grass. “Children who are taught close to, or in, nature are more receptive to knowledge. They are also calmer, more creative and alert. Teachers also feel a different commitment in surroundings close to nature, which in turn gets passed on to their pupils.” “We wanted the school buildings to have a strong connection with nature. And the grass-lined roofs were not meant to be seen and enjoyed just by the school’s neighbours; we wanted them to be used by the pupils and teachers,” explains Lucas Jollivet of architectural firm Tectoniques.
For schools seeking further information on The Top Schools Awards 2023 – 2024, please contact [email protected]
Read about the Top Schools Award for Fine Art and Creative Studio Work here.
Read about the Top Schools Award for Music here.
Read about the Top Schools Award for Sport here.
Read about the Top Schools Award for Environmental Science and Sustainability here.
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