PUPILS from nine primary schools across the borough tackled one of their biggest challenges: designing a safe railway station of the future.
They were challenged to the project, called Look Draw Build@Reading station by Reading Civic Society, who teamed up with architect Gemma Solanellas.
Now living in Barcelona, she had previously worked with the society on a number of Caversham-based projects, including a gazebo for Caversham Court Gardens.
The next project was to design a station, with financial support for the project coming from the Great Western Railway community fund.
Richard Bennett, chairman of the society, said: “It was a good fit for the Society and for me personally as I had worked for British Rail/InterCity in the 1990s in the lead up to and during privatisation. We started to work together in early 2021, along with one of her colleagues Viktoryia Varhanava, a graphic designer who lives in Reading.”
During lockdown, meetings were held over Zoom, and saw them produce a video detailing the history of the railway since the early 1800s.
The nine participating schools – Oxford Road Community School, The Wilson, Caversham Park, St Martins Catholic, Southcote, Katesgrove, E P Collier, Thamesside, St Annes. – then received help and guidance. With 20 classes taking part, some help was needed – Caversham Road-based firm Stantec was happy to help, with 20 members of its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) team giving guidance.
In addition, a small firm of local architects (Weston & Co Architects) volunteered to take part.
Gemma flew over from Barcelona for each week of the workshop deliveries.
GWR gave the majority of funding, with Haslams Estate Agents, led by MD Steve Woodford and his team, becoming a Gold Sponsor.
Mr Bennett said: “Haslams has provided great support and the ability to use their space for a launch event and the final exhibition. A lunch event was held in Haslams attended by the Mayor of Reading.”
The project’s aim has been, through creative modelling workshops led by architects and engineers, to create an awareness of the built environment around them and to teach children in years 4-6 the principles of design, structure and people flows.
It draws on a similar project Gemma established, and ran, in Barcelona for more than 17 years.
“The work which the children undertake hits many of the STEM aspects of the Curriculum,” Mr Bennett said.
“GWR and Network Rail told us right at the start that the safety message was very important to them as part of the project.
“GWR enabled the schools to have rail safety briefings in class or to visit the station to be shown how to navigate a big station such as Reading.
“Schools were very taken by this as they told us, ‘Many of the children had never been to a station, let alone on a train’.”
The models included safety elements such as signage and the yellow line on the platform.
A panel, composed of Reading Station’s Network Rail Manager Andy Philips, GWR, Architect Matt Andrews, CEO of Haslams Mike Shearn, Stantec and architect Gemma Serch (who is now leading the project in Barcelona) met on June 10 to review the models selected by each class to represent them.
The winner was Oxford Road Community Primary School followed closely by St Martin’s Catholic Primary School and Caversham Park Primary School.
The winning class will enjoy a trip in September to the Didcot Railway Centre, where they will gain experience travelling on GWR new trains and also steam trains.
To celebrate, Reading Civic Society organised a display to share details about the project and showcase the three winning models, starting with the Town Hall square on July 1, Reading Station Concourse on July 2, and then in Haslams last week.
The Mayor, and Cllrs Tony Page and Karen Rowlands visited the exhibition on the opening day.
Mr Bennett said: “As a conclusion to the exercise the children of Caversham Park School each wrote a personal letter to Gemma, which was sent to her in Barcelona. These letters tell how much they enjoyed the project. Some comment about their ideas for future careers and should it be in engineering or football? Gemma will respond to each one.”
He added: “We held a thank you event for all who has supported the project. The GWR Grants Manager, Emma Morris, travelled from Gloucester to see everyone.
“I asked a group of the Stantec team; ‘Has it been a good project and would you do it again?’. The answer was a clear yes.
“Haslams are willing to support again.”
