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Four of our talented Year 12 Art & Design students recently took part in an extraordinary architectural experience, co-designing and building a treehouse in the woodlands of Dorset. The four-day residential project, fully funded by the Grimshaw Foundation, brought together students from four schools and was hosted at the Architectural Association’s Hooke Park forest research centre.

The project was led by Jerry Tate of Tate + Co Architects and offered students a unique opportunity to explore hands-on architectural practice in a natural environment. Working closely with professionals and peers, our students learned valuable skills in design, collaboration, and problem-solving whilst surrounded by the beauty of nature.

Ritika, one of the students involved, reflected on the impact of the experience, saying:

“I would like to say thank you so much to the team for providing us with such an amazing opportunity. I learnt gained a lot of insight from this experience and I can take back so much knowledge with me as well as new key aspects of being a good architect, which I will always cherish. I’ve come away learning the most important lesson of teamwork and patience.”

Year 12 student, Tayra also shared how transformative the experience had been:

“This experience has genuinely shifted the way I think about architecture. Every conversation, activities and moment has left an impact on me and I’m so grateful for the generosity, insight and care that the team shared with us. I’ve come away feeling more inspired, more curious and even more certain about the path I want to follow.”

We’re extremely proud of our students’ commitment, creativity and drive, and we thank the Grimshaw Foundation and Hooke Park for providing such a memorable and inspiring opportunity. Also, thank you to Miss Tate, Art Teacher at Westminster City School for making this possible.