Architectural materials: experimenting with form
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create a maquette for a building design.
Key learning points
- Architects make choices about the materials they use and this impacts how a building looks and feels.
- Different materials allow architects to create unique designs that push visual and structural boundaries.
- Architectural materials can have eco-friendly properties, enabling sustainable building designs.
- Small components can be built up to make larger structures.
Keywords
Sustainability - using resources in a way that can be maintained over a long period of time without depletion or harm to the environment or future generations.
Maquette - a small scale model that is used for planning and testing before a building is constructed.
Form - the three-dimensional shape and structure of an object.
Common misconception
Buildings are all made from solid materials, brick, stone or concrete.
Buildings can be constructed from different materials. These may include traditional stone and brick or modern sustainable materials.
Teacher tip
This lesson can be adapted to your local environment by using examples of buildings and building materials in your local environment.
Equipment
Paper, pencils, scissors, glue, tape, mixed recycled boxes and tubes, paper straws, white paint and brushes.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who decides what a building looks like?
Q2.What does an architect do?
Q3.What materials are buildings made from?
Q4.Match the correct definition to these keywords:
Structures made by people that have walls and a roof.
A construction made by people.
The art and science of designing and constructing buildings.
Q5.Buildings should provide to people who live or work in them.
Q6.What does sustainability mean?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.What do we mean when we talk about the form of a building?
Q2.Can you match the building material to the type? choose between traditional or sustainable.
humanmade
flora
traditional
sustainable
Q3.Why do sustainable buildings often have big, insulated windows?
Q4.What is a green roof?
Q5.What is an architectural maquette for?
To help you plan your 8 art and design lesson on: Architectural materials: experimenting with form, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 art and design lesson on: Architectural materials: experimenting with form, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 art and design lessons from the Being curious about spatial design and architecture unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.