Les petits constructeurs : archs, vaults and domes explained to children

According to an old saying, if one truly wants to understand a concept, one must be able to explain it to a 6-year-old child. To bring further proof to this adage, we challenged architecture Master students to explain complex concepts of structural morphology and spatial structures to young children from 6 to 10 years old. To this end, we organize each year a discovery day : "Les Petits Constructeurs" ("The Little Builders"), that benefits to both children and students. The theme of the 2024 edition is how funicular arches, vaults, and domes are working. Our goals : • Bring children from all backgrounds to enter the doors of a higher education establishment, foster awakening, interest, and even vocation.
• Hand down scientific knowledge using an entertaining approach, with quality materials and media.
• Break the verticality of teaching, promote exchange and mutual and intergenerational learning.
To meet these goals, the schedule of the day is :
• An entertaining conference with our guest, the artist Vincent Ganivet.
• 5 incredible experiences : giant igloo (20 m² puzzled dome to be built by the children), antifunicular system with helium inflated balloons, removing correctly the supports of an arch, VR stand simulating a jump on the moon, Heinz Isler frozen shells reproduced with liquid nitrogen.
• A guided tour of the historic domes collection of the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine.
• A Funicular arch game kit made by our team and distributed to every child.