Your House as a City

Imagine you are a city planner. Your job is to plan a city that is not only comfortable to live in, but also a sustainable one that many families can live in for years to come. What would that look like? What types of buildings would be in it? Maybe your home is already a mini city? Let’s find out!

Step by step

Step 1

Place together 16 pieces of A4 size papers and tape them together. This will be your “blueprint”. Look around your house, what does it look like from the top if there is no ceiling? Draw a floor plan of your house, then colour each room with a different colour.

Step 2

Now imagine how each room would look like if it is a building in the city. What type of building would represent your bedroom? An apartment? How about the kitchen? Jot them down on a separate piece of paper.

Step 3

Design and construct the buildings, place them inside each room. You can use any materials to make them. You can make and place more than one building if it’s suitable for that area.

Step 4

Now that your city is starting to take shape, it’s important to see if your city is welcoming to everybody. How would you meet these people’s needs?

  • Sports star: Where can I train?
  • Mother: Where can I buy fresh vegetables? 
  • Teacher : Where can I teach my students? 
  • Grandpa: Where can I go to see the doctor? 
  • Neighbour: Where is the church?

Do you have buildings that can serve these people? If not, make some new ones.

Step 5

Present your completed city to others and ask if it is still missing anything. An important element to consider is how sustainable your city is. How would you make your city more environmentally friendly? Cities should always adapt and grow, and the built environment is not as static as you think it is.

Russell and Sharo are two design students from Central Saint Martins. Although they study different disciplines (graphic and performance), both of their practices revolve around the way people identify themselves in the urban environment.

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