Sixteen students from across the Northwest attended a two-day Architecture workshop at LJMU's Art & Design Academy organised by Places Matter and the Aimhigher Team at LJMU.

The programme gave students, aged 15-19 the chance to work with current lecturers and undergraduates to explore ideas and begin to design a 'Time Pavilion' to store a selection of objects typical of the present day, for discovery in the future!

Participants brainstorm ideas

After arrival and introductions, students were split into groups and asked to brainstorm ideas and consider questions such as:

• What objects will you choose to integrate within your time pavilion and what is the reasoning for their inclusion?
• Do the chosen artefacts embody something personal or are they more representative of current culture?

The students were then asked to present their ideas to the rest of the group and answer questions from a 'critical' panel of current LJMU architecture staff and students!

In the afternoon the students conducted a site visit along Hope Street to observe, analyse and record possible locations for their time pavilion to be housed. After making sketches and notes about their favourite places, Day 2 was given over to the design, model building and critiquing of their finished structures.

The students gave group presentations to senior lecturers and post graduate students and all of them had managed to produce very thoughtful and developed ideas, considering the short amount of time they had. Structures included a 500m 'crack' which would run underneath the length of Hope Street and would be a historical walkway which told the story of Liverpool from the early 1900's. It would also leave space to be filled with artefacts until the year 2050 and would act as a 'chill out' zone for visitors to relax and listen to the music of the Liverpool Sound!

Particular thanks must go to Phil Lo, Senior Lecturer at LJMU and his team of students who gave up their time for the 2-day event, as well as Jo Harrop from Places Matter who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the event.

If you would be interested in assisting with future Aimhigher events within LJMU please contact Paul Ireland at P.M.Ireland@ljmu.ac.uk or 0151 231 3795.

Participants present their ideas