New
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Becoming inspired: developing an architectural design
I can develop my own personal architectural design
Lesson 3 of 6
New
New
- Year 8
Becoming inspired: developing an architectural design
I can develop my own personal architectural design
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Architects gain inspiration from many sources including personal experiences and the world around them.
- Architects play with materials to generate and visualise ideas.
- Architectural designs can be made out of any material that allows the creation of form.
Keywords
Inspiration - the spark that starts the creative process, leading to unique and innovative designs
Scale - the relationship between the size of the building in a design and its actual size
Common misconception
All buildings have straight lines and are built out of box like shapes.
Buildings can come in many different forms, with influences coming from a range of different sources.
This lesson can be adapted to different influences that you have available and to reference buildings in your local area.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Paper, pens, pencils, glue, scissors, tape, paper straws, figures of different sizes
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does sustainable mean when we are talking about building materials?
What does sustainable mean when we are talking about building materials?
It is very heavy.
It is strong and can last forever without breaking.
It is cheap and easy to throw away.
Q2.Which of these is a sustainable building material?
Which of these is a sustainable building material?
plastic foam
regular concrete
timber from a rainforest
Q3.Why is recycled wood considered a good building material?
Why is recycled wood considered a good building material?
It is not very strong.
It is a man-made material.
It is colourful.
Q4.What do we mean when we talk about the form of a building?
What do we mean when we talk about the form of a building?
The colour of the walls.
The number of people that live in it.
The materials used for the roof.
Q5.Why do buildings have different shapes?
Why do buildings have different shapes?
Just to look interesting.
Because the builder chooses randomly.
Because the shape of the building doesn't matter
Q6.What is the main purpose of good building design?
What is the main purpose of good building design?
To spend as much money as possible.
To provide a habitat for birds.
To provide shelter only.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Architects find from lots of different places to help them with their ideas
Architects find from lots of different places to help them with their ideas
Q2.Architects often develop design by sketching, painting or playing with materials.
Architects often develop design by sketching, painting or playing with materials.
Q3.Match the keyword to its meaning.
Match the keyword to its meaning.
Q4.Which of these is not a reason architects play with materials?
Which of these is not a reason architects play with materials?
To test ideas
To explore design possibilities
To find inspiration
Q5.Architects often experiment with different to help develop design ideas.
Architects often experiment with different to help develop design ideas.
Q6.Match the word to how it helps in the design process:
Match the word to how it helps in the design process:
