My House my Home (12/06/06)

Children from Downside Lower School will be exploring what it takes to turn a new house into a new home on Friday 16 June as part of the national Architecture Week.

The inspiration behind the project is a development of six new houses by The Guinness Trust, which will be built directly behind the school in the coming months.

The Guinness Trust and Robert Lombardelli Partnership Limited will visit the school where they will introduce the new housing development, looking at how the new houses will be designed and built, and how they will comply with eco-homes requirements.

The children will then consider the difference between a house and a home before proceeding to plan and design their ideal home.

Towards the end of the event the childrens ideal homes will be put on display along with three dimensional studies of different styles of architecture that the children have been working on in the lead up to the event.

The event is part of the Downside Trailblazers project, which uses art to encourage community involvement and regeneration. Corporate Director for Community and Housing at South Bedfordshire District Council, John Dean, said: "The community has achieved a lot through the Trailblazers project. Its great to get children involved in this project and a housing development on their doorstep. This is opportunity for them to influence what it will be like to live on this estate. I am sure that we will all learn from this as well as have some fun."