Holcim Romania supports De-a Arhitectura Association to bring the architecture in schools

Bucharest, October 31th 2013 – Holcim Romania has become the main partner of „De-a Arhitectura in my city” project, with the purpose of introducing architecture in primary schools and in the national curriculum of handbooks.

"De-a Arhitectura in my city” is one of the most forward looking educational projects launched in Romania in the last years, aiming to promote architecture and built environment disciplines in primary schools.

As Holcim Romania is seeking to support initiatives that extend from technical solutions to promoting sustainable construction approaches and solutions which embrace architectural excellence and enhance quality of life, the company has decided to join this project and become its main partner.

The project was launched in 2011 by 6 architects: Mina Sava, Vera Marin, Eliza Yokina, Corina Croitoru, Miruna Grigorescu, Claudia Pamfil and benefited from the support in pedagogical consultancy of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest. The project is part of a larger cultural program of De-a Arhitectura Association and Bucharest branch of the Romanian Order of Architects, a program  conceived around a series of architecture and built environment courses for different groups of students, designed with a specific curriculum. Courses are supplemented with workshops at architecture events, conferences for students, thematic trips and training workshops for architects and teachers. Further details of the program can be found on the website www.de-a-arhitectura.ro.

The purpose of “De-a Arhitectura in my city “ project is to familiarize students from 3rd and 4th grades with the concepts of architecture and urbanism. It started in schools in 2012 with an enthusiastic team of teachers and architects who taught "De-a Arhitectura in my city" for 220 pupils, in 7 schools in Bucharest, out of which 3 are state owned and 4 are private.

For 2013-2014 the project is implemented in 60 classes from state or private schools in Bucuresti, Timisoara, Sibiu, Arad, Cluj, Sfantul Gheorghe, Brasov, Reghin, with 50 architects involved and 1465 children reached. Holcim Romania will support the implementation of the optional course in Bucharest and Cluj, where the course will be taught to more than 400 children from 15 classes.

The target of the project is to reach 10.000 students from 400 classes, until 2016, and to have 100 architects actively involved in this project.

“Since many years Holcim Romania supports and engages in educational projects in Romania as part of its engagement for Sustainable Development. This project is particularly valuable as it educates our next generation on the complex interconnections and interdependencies in the built environment. This awareness and knowledge will enable them in the future to take informed decisions and be involved as responsible citizens, and it hopefully also inspires some of participating students to study these matters further on higher level of education and to become professionals - city planners, architects, engineers - who will actively contribute to the further development of the built environment in order to face the challenges of the future", declared Daniel Bach, General Director Holcim Romania.

 „A paradigm shift in the architectural and urban culture of the Romanian society can only be made starting from the education of children, the future citizens and indirect opinion influencers of their parents.Our goal is to help children understand the architecture and the built environment, hence the complex processes that transform their environment. Their home, their school, their  neighborhood and their community are preparing these future citizens, are sending them a message about their place in the world. The quality of architecture and the built environment of tomorrow depends on them”, said the initiators of „De-a Arhitectura in my town” project.

In its vision to support the education, Holcim Romania also launched in March 2013, “The green lesson – Create your environment!” - the first digital handbook ever developed in Romania. The digital course came as a natural continuation of the first environmental education handbook for children launched in 2004 at the initiative of Holcim Romania, with the approval and in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

The digital handbook can be accessed at the website www.lectiaverde.ro or downloaded in epub format from iBookstore, for iPad, (https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lectia-verde-creeaza-ti-mediul!/id6193…)

About Holcim Romania

Holcim (Romania) S.A. owns 2 cement plants in Campulung and Alesd, a grinding station and a cement terminal in Turda, 13 ecological ready-mix plants, 3 aggregates plants, 2 special binders plants and a cement terminal in Bucharest. Holcim (Romania) S.A. employs around 1,000 people. For more information, please visit www.holcim.ro.

Holcim is one of the leading suppliers of cement and aggregates (sand and gravel), concrete, asphalt and related services. The Group holds minority and majority interests in about 70 countries on all continents.