Blog: Children’s architectural model competition

We’ve had a great time at PLACE architects working with Launceston Town Council, Launceston Chamber of Commerce and The Orchard Centre over the past few months. The annual Children’s Architectural Model Competition has been encouraging the next generation of architects and creative thinkers to get down and arty since the competition opened in February 2023.

Children, aged 4-11, were invited to create their own model in light of the refurbishment of St Mary Magdalene’s clock, Cornwall’s oldest public facing clock, with sustainability at the forefront of the design. The brief allowed participants to design something as small as a pin or as big as a chair, they could be solid as a rock or flexible like a blanket, tall or flat, round, pointy, or anything in between, as long as it can be linked to clocks – and the results did not disappoint!

The exhibition was bursting with around 100 models over Launceston Heritage Weekend on 17^th and 18^th June at the Town Hall where the public were invited to view the entries including the winners who achieved 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place as well as ‘special mentions’. Prizes were handed out and 1^st place winners of each age group (4-7, 8-11) received a specially made 3D printed trophy based on St Stephens’ Church clock tower at a special ceremony. The trophies were organised by our very own Mike Wellsbury-Nye.

The Model Competition was a community spirited event with lots of local organisations getting involved. Volunteers from the Chamber of Commerce and Launceston Library gave their time to steward the exhibition over the weekend and newly opened Church St sweet shop, FizzyWhizzyWoo donated sweets for exhibitors. The town hall provided the exhibition space and the library even hosted a clock model-making session at their lego club in advance.

The event has also received worldwide acclaim having been picked up by state-wide ABC Radio in Launceston, Tasmania who have expressed an interest in joining for next year’s competition. I will be talking about Launceston on the state-wide show soon.

We were delighted to organise a prize-giving ceremony last week for 1^st  place winners presented by members of PLACE, the Mayor, Cllr Helen Bailey and the Town Clerk, Chris Drake. We would like to say a huge thank you to local schools, especially St Joseph’s and Boyton Primary, who went all out for the competition. We could hardly contain the number of entries in the room! Next year we hope to go even bigger and hope you can help us choose a topic alongside the required element of sustainability. Jake suggested ‘Oceans’ and Ella went for ‘Unicorns’ – can you top that? 

We are seeking topic ideas from participants, schools, parents and guardians for next year’s theme, preferably to fit with the syllabus for local schools alongside the element of sustainability. Please contact Tash with any ideas you may have at people@placearchitects.co.uk.