RSHP sponsors Urban Pioneers

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, who will be sponsoring the next two years of the Architecture Foundation's education programme, The Urban Pioneers.

The Urban Pioneers education programme engages teams of 16-19 year olds in areas undergoing significant change, empowering them to critically explore the transformations happening around them, develop new skills, and engage with mentors. These skills are developed through a series of workshops with built environment experts including architects, engineers, filmmakers, artists, designers, planners and writers.

By engaging intensively with small groups of young people at an age when they are making crucial decisions about what to do next in their lives, the programme provides unrivalled access to skills, experience and opportunities within the built environment sectors. Not only will the direct participants benefit, but also a wider network of well informed residents, who are active in demanding better quality buildings and spaces, will benefit their neighbourhoods, and professional fields will benefit from a more diverse intake of practitioners.

Since its conception in 2008 the programme has focused on the areas of Bankside, London Bridge, King’s Cross, Deptford, Battersea, the Upper Lee Valley, Barking, Canada Water, South Kilburn, and most recently Willesden Green. The programme has enjoyed great success with previous

participants now studying for their A-levels, BTECS and Degrees in a wide range of subjects including sciences, animation, civil engineering and architecture.

Previous Urban Pioneers have said of their experience of the programme:
“I’ve learnt that architecture isn’t just design and bricks, but about people.”

“Engaging young people at the crossroad of their life with architects, engineers or even people who you never thought you would meet, is a great idea. It builds your confidence and makes the very hard decision of what to do in the future clearer.”

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners is an international architectural practice based in London whose aim is to create architecture that contributes to improving peoples’ daily lives, and is strongly focused on sustainability, urban regeneration and social awareness. The practice has earned wide respect for their mentoring systems, close ties to local and international universities, nurturing young architects and the promotion of a collegiate approach.

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners will also take a hands-on role in the Urban Pioneers programme by hosting workshops and studio tours over the term of their sponsorship.

Ivan Harbour of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners said:

“I am very pleased that RSHP is supporting such a valuable initiative. Programmes like the Urban Pioneers help make sure the next generation can be inspired to understand, reshape and improve their environments. We are happy to work directly with young people to give them an insight into the complex processes that architecture involves.”

Sarah Ichioka, Director of The Architecture Foundation said:

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners on our Urban Pioneers education programme, as we both share the passionate belief that architecture enriches lives. We are incredibly excited about what the next two years will bring, as we seek out and nurture the next generation of built environment practitioners and clients.”

The next Urban Pioneers programme will focus on the Heathrow area and will engage young people who live or study in the London Borough of Hillingdon. The group will take part in a series of creative workshops exploring the area’s architecture in its widest sense, with a specific focus on Heathrow Airport’s role in meeting local desires compared with national infrastructure demands.