Chapman Taylor delighted to support the Hannah More Primary School Careers Fair

Chapman Taylor was recently invited by developer Socius to support their Social value drive to benefit the local St. Philips community by attending the Hannah More Primary School Year 6 Careers Fair.

When we were chosen in February 2022 by Socius & Barings’s to realise their Soapworks mixed-use development in the St. Philips neighbourhood of Bristol we realised their drive and ambition to support the communities in which they worked, aligned with our own values. We therefore jumped at the chance, along with the Soapworks Socius Team to attend the Hannah More Primary School Careers Fair.

Farayi Msipha and Sandali Thiranagama from our Bristol Studio took along sketches, models and an animation of Chapman Taylor’s award-winning Castle Park View scheme to help explain the role of an Architect to students. It was a chance to promote a career choice that many of the Hannah More pupils may not have been aware of. Throughout the event, the children enthusiastically shared a delightful range of questions, exploring the fascinating world of architecture. They asked about the diverse responsibilities embraced by architects and the subjects necessary to lead to a future in architecture. Sandali and Farayi showcased how an architect's imagination has no limits and they demonstrated how an architect can sculpt buildings and shape the future of the built environment and its community.

Socius's encouragement of their entire team to contribute to social impact initiatives has also inspired us to support other programs such as the Babbasa mentoring scheme, where we provide guidance and assistance to local Architectural students.

We eagerly anticipate meeting the Year 6 class of next year (2024) and are excited to hear the intriguing questions they will ask!

In February 2022, Chapman Taylor was selected by Socius & Barings to develop the Soapworks mixed-use project in Bristol's St. Philips neighborhood. This partnership revealed a shared commitment to supporting the communities we work in. Therefore, when the opportunity arose to participate in the Hannah More Primary School Careers Fair, both the Soapworks Socius Team and Chapman Taylor were eager to take part.

Representatives from Chapman Taylor's Bristol Studio, namely Farayi Msipha and Sandali Thiranagama, brought along sketches, models, and an animation of Chapman Taylor's award-winning Castle Park View project. These visual aids helped explain the role of an architect to the students attending the fair. The goal was to promote architecture as a potential career choice that many of the Hannah More pupils may not have been aware of. The children at the event showed great enthusiasm and posed a delightful range of questions, exploring the fascinating world of architecture. They inquired about the various responsibilities architects undertake and the subjects required to pursue a career in architecture.

Socius's commitment to its Social Value program has inspired our Bristol Studio to extend its support to other initiatives as well. For example, we have recently been involved in the Babbasa mentoring scheme, a Bristol scheme to support local unemployed youth in ethnically diverse inner city communities, in terms of providing advice, guidance and assistance to local students.

Chapman Taylor eagerly looks forward to future opportunities to engage with the St. Philips community and is excited to continue supporting Socius's Social Value program.