With a team of local architects, including Dewberry’s Dan Willham and Rod Williams, I recently had the pleasure of introducing students at Mosby Woods Elementary in Fairfax, Virginia, to the world of architecture. For an hour each week, during a 10-week time frame, we taught students about what architects do and how they communicate ideas to clients—through blueprints, drawings, and models.

The students engaged in several activities designed to help them understand the importance of utilizing architectural skills, while also integrating creativity to produce a final project. They also experienced the importance of teamwork in order to complete a 1/16-inch scale model, “Mosby Town.”

Twelve teams were tasked with creating a 3 x 3-foot section of the town which included residential and/or commercial components, and each student was responsible for creating a scale model of one building, utilizing background knowledge, creative thinking, and ingenuity. The students negotiated location of homes and office buildings in order to create a model that mirrored their current environment and lifestyle—making real-world connections. The final project was jig-sawed together to create the larger model measuring 18 x 6 feet.

Enormously proud of their hand-crafted scale models, and the overall architectural structure, each student evaluated their work and reflected on what they learned, including a better understanding of scale, proportion, and planning and organizational skills, as well as teamwork.

Not only was this an incredible learning opportunity for the fourth graders, but it was for me as well. We tried teaching the students about good design sense without stifling their creativity, and they had a lot of fun designing their models. I remember asking how many of them wanted to be an architect or an engineer—more than half of them raised their hand. After completing “Mosby Town,” I also recall one student pointing out that they should have consulted a roadway engineer—since none of their roads connected! Seeing their enthusiasm and creativity reminded me why I chose to be an architect.

Mosby Town included single family homes, townhouses, apartment buildings, retail stores, a gas station, a hospital, recreation areas, and a small airport. Two sections of Mosby Town were on display at the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center during the week of January 12.