Skill Up: Biology to buildings - In person workshop

About the Course

Skill Up: Biology to buildings

Wednesday 20th August 2025, 11am-4pm

For young people aged 15-18

Please note that this workshop is taking place at RIBA North in Liverpool.

What can architecture learn from birds, beetles and mushrooms?

Join us for this creative workshop to explore how biomimicry – the process of imitating natural forms, patterns and processes - may lead to more exciting, efficient and sustainable architecture. We will discuss how architects, and others, look to nature for ideas and solutions to 21st century design needs and challenges. We will be introduced to experimental architectural drawing techniques, sun photography and paper model making to test the potential of biomimicry for yourself. We will look closely at plants before translating what you see and learn into an innovative 3D design for public space.

This creative architecture workshop is led by educator Marianne Holm Hansen, for young people aged 15 to 18 years.

Marianne Holm Hansen is an artist working across media, including photography, drawing and text-based works. She works internationally, including as a fine art and photography lecturer, and on creative programmes within a range of institutions such as RIBA, Tate and the British Library.

This is an adaptation of a workshop held in 2024 in London.

Please only book this workshop for participants aged between 15-18 years. Participants must be authorised to sign out of the workshop during an unsupervised 30 minute lunchbreak.

About the Workshop Series

Our workshops for ages 15 to 18 ‘skill up’ teenagers who are thinking about studying architecture or design. Participants think critically, share their views on architecture and express themselves through creative practice. In past workshops participants have learnt how to work to an architectural brief, improve portfolios, develop architectural drawing skills using a variety of media (including digital drawing on iPads) and photography skills, and work individually and collaboratively to think about how to design sustainable and responsible architecture.

This workshop will be held in Gallery 2 at RIBA North, all participants must arrive by 11am. These workshops are led by professional educators and all materials are included in the ticket price, but lunch is not provided.

If you're under 18, tickets must be booked by a parent or guardian. Online booking in advance is essential and if we do not receive full registration information in advance of the event we cannot allow the participant to attend.

Terms and Conditions

• Tickets for participants under the age of 18 must be booked by a parent or guardian and advance online registration is essential. Bookings made on behalf of someone else still require advance online registration and it is your responsibility to share the registration form with that person. If we do not receive full registration information in advance of the event we cannot allow the participant to attend.
• We can offer a full refund up to 30 days in advance of the event start date. Thereafter, we cannot offer a refund or transfer. Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected].
• We reserve the right to alter the advertised content of events.
• In the unlikely event we need to cancel we will contact all ticket holders as soon as possible to rearrange or offer a full refund. We cannot reimburse or compensate for travel or other associated costs.
• On entry to the event participants agree to behave in an appropriate manner; the RIBA reserves the right to remove participants who behave inappropriately from events and request their immediate collection by parents/guardians.
• The details you provide will be used in accordance with the RIBA's GDPR obligations. For information on how we will handle your personal data please see our Privacy Policy at www.architecture.com.