Constructionarium: Turning Theory Into Practice

Constructionarium Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation which delivers a residential, experiential, immersive learning opportunity to university students from across the built environment education sector. Since 2002, the Constructionarium education model has been available to students in engineering, construction management and architecture at a purpose built, 19-acre multi-disciplinary training facility in Bircham Newton, England simulating real site life and reflecting site processes, practices and health and safety requirements. The unique approach of Constructionarium puts experiential learning and sustainability at the heart of everything. In a week, students develop a practical understanding of the construction process, develop transferable skills, build a team and are exposed to the latest in sustainable technologies. Experiential learning is what differentiates a Constructionarium project from regular field trips or site visits. At Constructionarium the focus is on learning by participation rather than learning through theory or watching a demonstration. The projects cannot be replicated in a classroom or on campus. Using the hands-on construction of scaled down versions of iconic structures from around the world, students learn that it requires the involvement of the whole construction team to successfully complete their project. Skills such as communication, planning, budgeting, time management and decision making are woven into a week-long interrelationship with industry professionals, academic mentors and trades workers. Working together to enhance transferable skills brings the educational environment into the reality of completing an actual construction project handled by the students. Constructionarium has used this transformational learning model to educate thousands of students from all over the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Texas A&M University in the United States has sent multiple teams of students from its Department of Construction Science every operational year since 2016.