All the pupils are designing either their ‘dream home’ or their vision of the ‘house of the future’ for a poster competition and the tour gave them lots of ideas.
Gilbert & Goode Project Manager, Brendon Leech, said the tour aimed to inspire the pupils: “Some of the energy saving concepts are rather technical and we wanted to make them fun. The children asked lots of questions and their enthusiasm helped to bring the new technologies to life. It’s wonderful to see things through children’s eyes and we are encouraging them to let their imagination go wild with their poster designs.“
During the last six months the pupils have visited the site at different stages of the construction, learning how homes are built and the importance of health and safety. During the Eco Tour they could see at first hand how energy is being saved through devices such as air source heating and solar power. Tracey Clarke, Deputy Head at Indian Queens Community Primary School, says it has been a unique opportunity for the pupils: “They have really enjoyed their site visits and now have a good understanding of how homes are built. The Eco Tour and the poster competition are also helping the pupils to think about sustainability in a way that is both engaging and creative.”
The school’s involvement is part of the Considerate Constructors programme, an industry recognised scheme which encourages building companies to have a favourable impact on the local neighbourhood and environment. Gilbert & Goode was recently awarded a national Gold and Silver Award for two affordable home developments in Cornwall and was ‘runner up’ for operating the UK’s most Considerate Site in 2010.
Construction Director, Simon Caklais, is immensely proud that Gilbert & Goode is now ranked in the top 1% of construction sites nation-wide: “This national recognition by the building industry is obviously very important, but what matters most is that the local communities are happy with us. When we are building new homes we take great care, making sure we consider and respect neighbouring residents. It is also our chance to get involved in the local community and support schools, giving pupils an insight into the construction industry and showing them how we are working to safeguard the environment for future generations.”
