Focussing on inspiring female secondary school pupils to explore careers in technology, Associated Architects took part in the Midlands Arts Centre (mac) “Girls that Geek” event. The focus was on future jobs for young women and the day enabled girls to explore a variety of careers and industries such as gaming, VR, robotics, digital communication, academia, and architecture, through talks, informal discussions, a careers panel, as well as an interactive Show and Tell.

Alongside Birmingham City University’s STEAMhouse team we showcased the opportunities presented by Virtual and Augmented Reality in the architectural profession. They experienced the technology for themselves and learnt from three of our architects and the STEAMhouse Team about how this drives innovation, improves how we communicate design proposals, and ultimately improves the places we create.

Architectural Assistant Lauren Francis who took part in the event said

“Giving girls hands-on experience of the technology we use everyday is an ideal way to introduce them to a career in architecture and the built environment, especially as it as an area that they might not immediately think of when they consider careers in tech. My colleagues and I really enjoyed answering everyone’s questions and showing them what we can do, and we hope that this has made them consider architecture as a career option.”

Also taking part were representatives from Sega, Khan Digital Story Lab, Pervasive Media, Aston University, and Mozilla Hubs.

Associated Architects will return to the Midlands Arts Centre this summer with our own “She Built That” event, a day for female secondary school pupils interested in careers in architecture and the built environment.