Detectives on Hammarkullen Square – meetings with an ‘architectural advisor’

In 2011, the cultural administration in Gothenburg initiated a small project in Hammarkullen in collaboration with the pilot project. The tool used was called ‘Detectives on Hammarkullen Square’ and involved meetings with an ‘architectural advisor’ aimed at pursuing a dialogue with young children on the city’s physical manifestations. This is how the architectural advisor for preschool teachers described what the project was about:

‘Working together, we investigate Hammarkullen Square and its benches, stone walls, lawns, fruits and doors. Using simple pictures and maps, we search for details in the environment to learn more about our neighborhood. We also listen to each others’ stories about the area. These walks give us material and inspiration for making expeditions, with the children, in the city space.’ 

The architectural advisor carried out these expeditions – with 10 groups of children age 5-6 years – in the form of treasure hunts, where the treasures were various objects in the physical environment. However, the learning process did not focus on what the small detectives found, but on how they, together with their preschool teacher and the architectural advisor, talked about the physical space and the artifacts.