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As a child, Toronto born Frank Gehry, arguably the world’s most famous living architect, (designer of the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Art Gallery of Ontario redesign, among others) played with blocks and planks fashioned by his grandmother from scrap wood. Years later, in his twenties, trying to decide what he was going to do with his life, Gehry says, “I remembered Grandma and the blocks, and just on a hunch, I tried some architecture classes.*"
Although famous for his undulating forms that are impossible to engineer without high-powered computers, to this day, blocks are a key part of the design process in Frank Gehry’s studio.**
Blocks are a fantastic way to explore, shapes, volume, construction and the principles of engineering structures. And with modular blocks that are carefully designed to be proportional, blocks can illuminate key mathematical concepts like fractions, ratios even math operations.
But although we usually think of playing with blocks with the early years, as Gehry’s practice illustrates, blocks can be engaging and provocative for STEM discovery for older learners right up to adults. In a parent drop-in centre, blocks are a great way to get adults down on the floor, building with their kids. And in a before/after-school program, a good block station will be as engaging to juniors and intermediate students as it will be with pre-k’s and toddlers.
Here are 6 tips for building your block learning area.
For a block kit that addresses all these needs check out our new BLOCK AND CONSTRUCTION KIT FOR SCHOOLS
* Quote from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Gehry
** Art Gallery of Ontario website http://www.ago.net/frank-gehrys-process
Image courtesy of Designboom "frank gehry reveals plans for LUMA parc des ateliers in france," https://www.designboom.com/architecture/luma-parc-des-ateliers-by-frank-o-gehry/
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